THE EFFECT OF ORAL KETANSERIN ON FETAL HEART-RATE PARAMETERS

Objective: To determine the effects of ketanserin given from early in the midtrimester of pregnancy on fetal heart rate parameters later in pregnancy. Methods: Patients with diastolic blood pressure persistentl y higher than 80 mm Hg between 12 and 20 weeks' gestational age were r andomized to receive either ketanserin or placebo. Both groups also go t 75 mg of aspirin per day. The fetal heart rate was monitored once ev ery fortnight from 28 weeks' gestation and weekly from 36 weeks onward . Recordings were made with the Sonicaid System 8000 and continued unt il the Dawes and Redman criteria were met. Results: The Dawes and Redm an criteria were met within 10 min in 54% of recordings in both study groups, whereas they were not met in 4.5 and 3.3% of recordings in the ketanserin group and placebo group, respectively (P = 0.58). The mean time to meet these criteria duration per recording was 16.9 min in th e ketanserin group and 16.2 min in the placebo group (P = 0.83). There were no significant differences between the two study groups in fetal heart rate variability, accelerations, or decelerations before 38 wee ks' gestation. Thereafter the mean minute range and short-term and bas eline variability were significantly higher in the ketanserin group, a nd significantly more accelerations of the fetal heart were recorded i n the ketanserin group. Conclusions. Ketanserin does not influence the fetal heart rate adversely and may even be associated with improved r ecordings late in pregnancy.