Maternal perception, tocodynamometric findings and real-time ultrasound assessment of total fetal activity.
"Total" fetal motor activity was determined in 111 healthy patients between 25 weeks of pregnancy and term using two real-time ultrasound devices simultaneously. Furthermore tocographic findings and also maternal perception of fetal movements of the same patients were stored synchronously on magnetic tape. A comparison was drawn between these three methods, i.e. real-time ultrasonography, maternal perception and tocographic tracings ("spikes" indicating fetal movements). Of all fetal movements, as assessed by real-time ultrasonography, the mothers perceived a total of 38% whereas "spikes" in tocographic tracings corresponded with fetal motor activity (excluding "breathing") in only 25% of the cases (P less than 0.001). Also major statistically significant differences could be found between maternal perception of fetal body movements with or without fetal limb movements in 56% and routine- tocography in 37% (P less than 0.001). Also isolated limb movements were most often detected by mothers (23%) than were revealed by tocographic findings (14%; P less than 0.001). Maternal signals were truly positive in 74% compared to tocography in only 56% of the cases (P less than 0.001). It is concluded that maternal perception of fetal movements is a more reliable method of monitoring fetal motor activity than analysis of tocographic tracings.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000502:physiology; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009068:Movement; D010465:Perception; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography