Maturation of fetal heart rate and body movement in 24-33-week-old fetusesthreatening to deliver prematurely

Maturation of spontaneous cardiac and body movement behavior from 24 to 33 weeks gestational age was characterized prospectively in 168 high-risk fetu ses threatening to deliver prematurely. Forty-eight, low-risk fetuses deliv ering as healthy full-term infants served as a comparison group. Fetuses we re classified on the basis of gestational age at time of testing and newbor n outcome following delivery (high-risk: premature compromised premature he althy term healthy infant; low-risk term healthy). In the high-risk group, the average fetal heart rate was greater and decreased over gestation from 148 to 140 bpm, regardless of outcome. In the low-risk group, it decreased from 145 to 138 bpm. In high- and low-risk groups, the average number of he art rate accelerations greater than or equal to 15 bpm increased over gesta tion from 2-3 to 8 while the average number of maternally perceived movemen ts decreased. It was concluded that maturational changes in spontaneous fet al heart rate and maternally perceived body movements in fetuses threatenin g to deliver prematurely parallel those of low-risk fetuses. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.