Antepartum measurement of the preejection period in high-risk pregnancy.
The preejection period (PEP) of the fetal heart was measured in the antepartum period in 32 high-risk patients between 32.5 and 42 weeks' gestation. Successful measurements were made 70% of the time using an abdominal electrocardiogram and a single-crystal Doppler ultrasound transducer with narrow band-pass amplifier. PEP was found to correlate directly with gestational age (GA) and inversely with fetal heart rate (FHR). Three of 4 growth-retarded infants and another infant who was asphyxiated at birth had significant shortening of PEP prior to delivery.
D002302:Cardiac Output; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D005323:Fetal Monitoring; D005865:Gestational Age; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012306:Risk; D014463:Ultrasonography