The clinical interpretation of fetal heart rate traces is a difficult task that has led to the development computerised assessment systems. These systems are limited by their inability to represent uncertainty. This paper describes the first stage in the development of a fu2zy expert system for fetal heart rate assessment. A preliminary evaluation study comparing the initial fuzzy system with t...

Introduction: Fetal heart rate and its variability during the course of gestation have been extensively researched. The overall reduction in heart rate and increase in fetal HRV is associated with fetal growth and the increase in neural integration. The increased complexity of the demands on the cardiovascular system leads to more variation in the temporal course of the heart rate which has bee...

• "When fetaJ asphyxia or hypoxia is induced by reduction of uterine and umbilical circulations oi" by administration of a gas mixture of low oxygen content to the mother, there is an increase in the fetal arterial pressure." The effects on the fetal heart rate appear to be variable. Bradycardia has been observed by several investigators.*~ Born et al. noted that the changes in heart rate depen...

Effective intrapartum fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring requires ongoing collaboration among health care providers. Nurses, midwives, and physicians must have a shared understanding of 1) how FHR tracings are interpreted, 2) which FHR patterns are associated with actual or impending fetal acidemia, 3) when and within what time frame the physician or the midwife should be notified of variant FHR...