title: The interaction of behavioural state, heart rate and resistance index in the human fetus.
abstract: The association and possible interactions of fetal behavioural state, fetal heart rate and vascular resistance was studied in 23 healthy pregnant women between 36 and 40 weeks' gestation. Doppler flow velocity waveforms were obtained from fetal cerebral (anterior cerebral, internal carotid and basilar), descending aorta and umbilical arteries during fetal behavioural state 1F and repeated during 2F. The Resistance Index (RI) was used as a measure of vascular resistance. Decreased vascular resistance was observed in all vessels except the umbilical artery during fetal behavioural state 2F compared to 1F (P less than 0.001). A significant interaction was observed between fetal heart rate and fetal behavioural state on the RI of the vessels studied, with a greater negative slope for RI plotted against fetal heart rate in fetal behavioural state 2F (-0.00139) compared to 1F (0.00005) (P less than 0.001). We conclude that the transition from fetal behavioural state 1F to 2F is associated with a significant reduction in cerebral and systemic vascular resistance, with no apparent change in placental resistance. Furthermore, fetal behavioural state and fetal heart rate interact, demonstrating a stronger association of fetal heart rate and RI in fetal behavioural state 2F in keeping with an increase in baroreflex sensitivity at this time.
authors.affiliation: Lawson Research Institute, St. Joseph's Health Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Connors
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gillis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hunse
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gagnon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Richardson
mesh_terms: D001519:Behavior; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D014655:Vascular Resistance