title: Counting fetal hiccups using a fetal movement acceleration measurement recorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the degree of fetal hiccup occurrence by using a fetal movement acceleration measurement recorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 23 pregnant women recorded fetal movements weekly or biweekly between 28 and 39 gestational weeks at home with the recorder. Fetal hiccups were defined as regular sharp oscillations - which occurred at 2-4 second intervals, more than 15 times per minute - on the maternal abdomen. The duration and frequency of the hiccup bouts were counted. The data were classified into an early (28-33 weeks) gestational group and a late (34-39 weeks) group, and compared between the two.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 164 records were obtained, and the total time analyzed amounted to 1035 hours. The mean incidence of a fetal hiccup bout at an early group was 0.19 times per hour, and it decreased to 0.15 at a late group (p = 0.02). The durations of fetal hiccup bouts were 8.17 and 7.88 minutes at an early and a late group, respectively, with no significant difference (p = 0.64).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The duration of a fetal hiccup bout did not change after 28 gestational weeks; however, incidence slightly decreased from an early to a late group.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , School of Medicine, Teikyo University , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamata
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , School of Medicine, Teikyo University , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ryo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , School of Medicine, Teikyo University , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Michiharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , School of Medicine, Teikyo University , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , School of Medicine, Teikyo University , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagaya
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005324:Fetal Movement; D005865:Gestational Age; D006606:Hiccup; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: FMAM recorder; Fetal hiccups; fetal movement acceleration measurement recorder; fetus; hiccups