title: Signal quality of non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram in vaginal breech delivery: a case-controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, a non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram monitor has been approved for clinical usage in labour and delivery. To determine the fetal signal quality of vaginal breech deliveries in comparison with a case-controlled cephalic group during labour.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study was carried out at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University Hospital Frankfurt between 1st July 2012 and 30th September 2012. A total of seven breech deliveries were evaluated. A case-controlled cephalic group with same gestational age and parity were selected from a previous trial.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During first stage of labour, vaginal breech and cephalic delivery had no significant different fetal signal success rates (mean 87.8 vs. 85.7 %; p > 0.05). There was a trend of higher fetal signal success rates in the vaginal breech delivery group during second stage of labour (78.4 vs. 55.4 %; p = 0.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Similar fetal signal success rates in vaginal breech delivery in comparison to cephalic presentation were demonstrated using the new commercially available non-invasive abdominal fECG device (the Monica AN24(TM)).
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sänger
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Louwen
authors.forename: Joscha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reinhard
authors.forename: Juping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hanker
mesh_terms: D001946:Breech Presentation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D007747:Labor Stage, First; D007748:Labor Stage, Second; D011247:Pregnancy; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio