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Noninvasive fetal electrocardiography following intermittent umbilical cord occlusion in the preterm ovine fetus

Noninvasive fetal electrocardiography following intermittent umbilical cord occlusion in the preterm ovine fetus
Noninvasive fetal electrocardiography following intermittent umbilical cord occlusion in the preterm ovine fetus
Objective: to investigate whether a noninvasive fetal electrocardiography (fECG) system can identify cardiovascular responses to fetal hypoxaemia and validate the results using standard invasive fECG monitoring techniques.

Design: prospective cohort study.

Setting: biological research facilities at The University of Southampton.

Population or Sample: late gestation ovine fetuses; n = 5.

Methods: five fetal lambs underwent implantation of vascular catheters, umbilical cord occluder and invasive ECG chest electrodes under general anaesthesia (3% halothane/O2) at 119 days of gestation (term ?147 days of gestation). After 5 days of recovery blood pressure, blood gases, glucose and pH were monitored. At 124 and 125 days of gestation following a 10-minute baseline period a 90-second cord occlusion was applied. Noninvasive fetal ECG was recorded from maternal transabdominal electrodes using advanced signal-processing techniques, concurrently with invasive fECG recordings.

Main outcome measures: comparison of T:QRS ratios of the ECG waveform from noninvasive and invasive fECG monitoring systems.

Results: our fECG monitoring system is able to demonstrate changes in waveforms during periods of hypoxaemia similar to those obtained invasively, which could indicate fetal distress.

Conclusions: these findings may indicate a future use for noninvasive electrocardiography during human fetal monitoring both before and during labour in term and preterm pregnancies.
cord occlusion, electrocardiography, fetus
1470-0328
438-444
Cleal, J.K.
18cfd2c1-bd86-4a13-b38f-c321af56da66
Thomas, M.
f5239f6a-49f5-4645-9f1c-37ae8fbcd0d5
Hanson, M.A.
1952fad1-abc7-4284-a0bc-a7eb31f70a3f
Paterson-Brown, S.
bd23fd13-f807-48da-9e15-9a76f94eea9e
Gardiner, H.M.
e4167ce0-dc23-4479-9bdf-6a51a2ee6f23
Green, L.R.
8a601974-efe5-4916-9268-9e7bc72d89c5
Cleal, J.K.
18cfd2c1-bd86-4a13-b38f-c321af56da66
Thomas, M.
f5239f6a-49f5-4645-9f1c-37ae8fbcd0d5
Hanson, M.A.
1952fad1-abc7-4284-a0bc-a7eb31f70a3f
Paterson-Brown, S.
bd23fd13-f807-48da-9e15-9a76f94eea9e
Gardiner, H.M.
e4167ce0-dc23-4479-9bdf-6a51a2ee6f23
Green, L.R.
8a601974-efe5-4916-9268-9e7bc72d89c5

Cleal, J.K., Thomas, M., Hanson, M.A., Paterson-Brown, S., Gardiner, H.M. and Green, L.R. (2010) Noninvasive fetal electrocardiography following intermittent umbilical cord occlusion in the preterm ovine fetus. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 117 (4), 438-444. (doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.2009.02471.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective: to investigate whether a noninvasive fetal electrocardiography (fECG) system can identify cardiovascular responses to fetal hypoxaemia and validate the results using standard invasive fECG monitoring techniques.

Design: prospective cohort study.

Setting: biological research facilities at The University of Southampton.

Population or Sample: late gestation ovine fetuses; n = 5.

Methods: five fetal lambs underwent implantation of vascular catheters, umbilical cord occluder and invasive ECG chest electrodes under general anaesthesia (3% halothane/O2) at 119 days of gestation (term ?147 days of gestation). After 5 days of recovery blood pressure, blood gases, glucose and pH were monitored. At 124 and 125 days of gestation following a 10-minute baseline period a 90-second cord occlusion was applied. Noninvasive fetal ECG was recorded from maternal transabdominal electrodes using advanced signal-processing techniques, concurrently with invasive fECG recordings.

Main outcome measures: comparison of T:QRS ratios of the ECG waveform from noninvasive and invasive fECG monitoring systems.

Results: our fECG monitoring system is able to demonstrate changes in waveforms during periods of hypoxaemia similar to those obtained invasively, which could indicate fetal distress.

Conclusions: these findings may indicate a future use for noninvasive electrocardiography during human fetal monitoring both before and during labour in term and preterm pregnancies.

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More information

Published date: March 2010
Keywords: cord occlusion, electrocardiography, fetus

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 72818
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/72818
ISSN: 1470-0328
PURE UUID: b7eb3e1c-1084-4a6f-8220-710652fad109
ORCID for J.K. Cleal: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7978-4327
ORCID for M.A. Hanson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6907-613X
ORCID for L.R. Green: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7423-9696

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 23 Feb 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:46

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Contributors

Author: J.K. Cleal ORCID iD
Author: M. Thomas
Author: M.A. Hanson ORCID iD
Author: S. Paterson-Brown
Author: H.M. Gardiner
Author: L.R. Green ORCID iD

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