title: Continuous monitoring of fetal temperature by noninvasive probe and its relationship to maternal temperature, fetal heart rate, and cord arterial oxygen and pH.
abstract: The human fetus is normally warmer than its mother. The principal route of fetal heat dissipation is through the placental circulation. We developed a technique that is noninvasive to the fetus to record the fetal skin and maternal uterine wall temperatures, from which we derived the temperature difference. We have established a range of normal values (mean temperature difference 0.24C) and present some preliminary data. The results show a correlation between changing temperature and baseline fetal heart rate (r = 0.628, P less than .001) and the influence of contractions and epidural analgesia on these measurements. Measurement of the fetal-maternal temperature difference during labor may help detect abnormal umbilical-placental blood flow, resulting in fetal distress, and may help distinguish sinister from iatrogenic fetal tachycardias. Our technique provides the first simple means of recording this basic fetal variable.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Macaulay
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Randall
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bond
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Steer
mesh_terms: D001831:Body Temperature; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D014590:Uterine Contraction
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen