Clinical evaluation of fetal movements.
Fetal movement was examined in 200 pregnancies to establish normal patterns, influencing factors, possible clinical value and practical application. The mean number of movements per hour was 26 in hospitalized and 40 in ambulatory patients. These values remained fairly steady throughout pregnancy except for a significant decrease in the week preceding labor. Individual variations were large. The number of movements was uninfluenced by parity and fetal sex but was lower for small-for-gestational-age babies, in mothers suffering from both hypertension and diabetes and in mothers treated with diazepam. Fetal movement count may be used as a parameter of fetal well-being.
D001835:Body Weight; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009068:Movement; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D012016:Reference Values
D003975:Diazepam