Short-term variation in abnormal antenatal fetal heart rate records.
In a retrospective study the relation of reduced fetal heart rate variation to fetal acidemia was analyzed with a computerized system for numeric analysis. Between 1983 and 1987, 78 pregnancies were identified in which at least one record of the fetal heart rate had very low long-term variation. The outcome was analyzed to determine the numeric criteria of fetal heart rate variation that most efficiently detect a fetus that will die (preterminal) or is dying (terminal). Because fetal compromise was found on occasion to be associated with a slow sinusoidal fetal heart rate rhythm that increased measures of long-term variation. It was necessary to define a new index of short-term fetal heart rate variation (the 1/16 minute epoch-epoch variation). This was closely related to long-term variation (r = 0.9) but provided better detection of preterminal records as judged by metabolic acidemia at delivery or intrauterine death.
Street
P
P
Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Oxford.
Dawes
G S
GS
Moulden
M
M
Redman
C W
CW
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D011247:Pregnancy