S. Vindla et al., Computerised analysis of unstimulated and stimulated behaviour in fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction, EUR J OB GY, 83(1), 1999, pp. 37-45
Citations number
35
Categorie Soggetti
Reproductive Medicine
Journal title
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS GYNECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Unstimulated (passive) and stimulated behaviour, in the form of fetal heart
rate (FHR) and activity (FA)) was studied in 32 normal fetuses and 14 fetu
ses with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). FHR and FA were recorded u
sing a single 1.5 MHz ultrasound transducer and analysed by computer. A 5 s
vibroacoustic stimulus (VAS) (electronic artificial larynx) was used for t
he stimulation studies. The IUGR fetuses had significantly different patter
ns of both unstimulated and stimulated behaviour compared to normally grown
fetuses. When unstimulated they had lower FA rates than the normally grown
fetuses but this was only statistically significant at: 28-31 weeks. They
also spent a significantly lower proportion of time exhibiting high FHR var
iation at 28-31 weeks. Following VAS the IUGR fetuses had tower FA response
s at all gestations and lower FHR responses from 32 weeks, though only the
differences in FA response at 28-31 weeks were statistically significant. O
f the 14 fetuses with IUGR, all but one exhibited passive behaviour (ERR an
d/or FA) that was outside the 10-90th range, for normally grown fetuses, wh
ilst 6 of the 14 had responses to VAS that were within the normal range. We
do not feel that computerised assessment of stimulated behaviour in preter
m IUGR fetuses confers any advantage over passive observations. (C) 1999 El
sevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.