title: Fetal hiccups; characteristics and relation to fetal heart rate.
abstract: In 35 two-hour recordings of fetal heart rate and fetal movements, 14 periods of fetal hiccups were present (1.2% of the recording time) with a median duration of 3.5 min (range 1 to 8 min). No specific relation to behavioural states or movement patterns could be identified. The hiccupping frequency varied from 10 to 21 per min. Within a hiccupping spell, the mean frequency decreased from 20 +/- 11 to 12 +/- 6.2 per min. A small but evident increase in baseline frequency was present during the hiccupping spells, independent from other movements performed by the fetus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Academic Hospital, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: van Woerden
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: van Geijn
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Caron
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mantel
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Swartjes
authors.forename: N F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Arts
mesh_terms: D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005324:Fetal Movement; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal; D006606:Hiccup / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D014463:Ultrasonography