Computerised fetal heart rate analysis in labour--effect of sampling rate.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of sampling rate on the accuracy of fetal heart rate recording in labour.


METHODS
Prospective observational study.


METHODS
The fetal heart rate was obtained from 153 fetuses in labour. The heart rate data was sampled at a rate of 0.5 Hz (every 2 s) and the means and standard deviations of 5-min segments compared against the mean and standard deviation for all beats in the same time interval.


RESULTS
There was a highly significant correlation between the means (r = 0.994, p < 0.001) and standard deviations (r = 0.957, p < 0.001) of FHR sampled on successive beats compared with 2 s sampling.


CONCLUSIONS
Two second sampling of the fetal heart rate in labour will allow a highly complex analytical algorithm to process the signal in near real time for objective analysis.
Chang
A
A
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.
Sahota
D S
DS
Reed
N N
NN
James
D K
DK
Mohajer
M P
MP
D000465:Algorithms; D015148:Cardiotocography / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013997:Time Factors