title: A simple method of fetal and neonatal heart rate beat-to-beat variability quantitation: preliminary report.
abstract: Good base-line fetal and neonatal heart rate beat-to-beat variability appears to be a reassuring sign of well-being. Conversely, decreased base-line heart rate beat-to-beat variability during the latter part of the intrapartum period is often associated with neonatal acidosis and/or depression. A simple method of quantitation of the beat-to-beat neonatal heart rate is reported here. This method of variability quantitation (VQ) consists of a continuous integration and display of the baseline heart rate beat-to-beat variability on a scale of zero to four, expressed in beats per minute averaged over a one-minute period. Serial variability quantitation in 35 neonates with different clinical conditions appeared to demonstrate a good correlation between the variability quantitation and the outcome of the neonates. Further studies are planned for evaluating the method in the intrapartum period.
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000502:physiology; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy