title: A comparative study of fetal heart rate variability analysis techniques.
abstract: This study examines a novel methodology for continuous fetal heart rate variability (FHRV) assessment in a non-stationary intrapartum fetal heart rate (FHR). The specific aim was to investigate simple statistics, dimension estimates and entropy estimates as methods to discriminate situations of low FHRV related to non-reassuring fetal status or as a consequence of sedatives given to the mother. Using a t-test it is found that the dimension of the zero set and sample entropy reveal a difference in mean distribution of significance >99%. Thus it may prove possible to build a discriminating system based on either one or a combination of these techniques.
authors.affiliation: Sch. of Comput. Commun. & Electron., Plymouth Univ, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Outram
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Löfgren
authors.forename: Emmanuel C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ifeachor
authors.forename: Karl G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Rosén
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015148:Cardiotocography / Q000379:methods*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity