title: A comparison of subjective and mathematical estimations of fetal heart rate variability.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a computerized algorithm to quantify fetal heart rate (FHR) variability and compare it to perinatologists' interpretation of FHR variability.
  
  
  METHODS
  FHR variability was calculated using data from 30 women who had a fetal scalp electrode placed for a clinical indication, and compared to the assessment of FHR variability from four perinatologists who interpreted paper tracings of the same data. Inter-rater reliability was calculated and receiver-operator curve analysis was done.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Correlation between the computer algorithm's assessment of variability and the perinatologists' assessment (0.27-0.68) was similar to the inter-rater reliability between perinatologists (0.33-0.72).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A computer-based algorithm can assess FHR variability as well as expert clinicians.
authors.affiliation: Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA. awolfberg@tufts-nemc.org
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wolfberg
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Derosier
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Zeeshan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Syed
authors.forename: Gari D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Clifford
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Acker
authors.forename: Adre Du
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Plessis
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D004566:Electrodes; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D011247:Pregnancy; D012372:ROC Curve; D012535:Scalp