BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The assessment of motor function is an essential component of neurologic examinations, which imaging studies have extended to the fetus. US assessment is hampered by a limited FOV, whereas MR imaging has the potential to be an alternative. Our objectives were to optimize a cine MR imaging sequence for capturing fetal movements and to perform a pilot analysis of the relati...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of vibroacoustic stimulation (VAS) on computerized cardiotocography short-term variability (STV) and approximate entropy (ApEn) in both low- and high-risk pregnancies. VAS was performed on 121 high- and 95 low-risk pregnancies after 10 minutes of continuous quiet, while their FHR parameters were monitored and recorded by cCTG analysis. Fetal hear...

Maternal awareness of fetal movements serves as an indicator of fetal wellbeing and its reduction alerts clinicians to pregnancies at risk of complications. A reduction of fetal movements (FM) causes concern and anxiety, both for the mother and obstetrician, and is a common reason for referral to hospital. Decreased fetal movements affect up to 15% of pregnancies (Sergent et al., 2005; Heazell ...

Following the rapid progress in the development of optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) technology for the measurement of magnetic fields in the femtotesla range, a successful assembly of individual sensors into an array of nearly identical sensors is within reach. Here, 25 microfabricated OPMs with footprints of 1 cm(3) were assembled into a conformal array. The individual sensors were inserted...

Evaluation of nonstress test (NST) in the antenatal assessment of fetal well being in the high-risk pregnancy has been found to be clinically efficacious. The basis for its interpretation has been the reactive or normal and no reactive or abnormal test. Between January 1997 and May 1998, 53 high risk pregnant women were studied by NST at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bangabandhu...

low-risk pregnancy include evaluation of decreased fetal movement, spontaneous variable decelerations during monitoring to evaluate for labor, or an ultrasound evaluation for fundal height measurements discordant with gestational age. How should “isolated” oligohydramnios—an AFI <5 cm—be interpreted, and should immediate induction be recommended for such patients? Oligohydramnios occurs in abou...

Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC), characterized by multiple joint contractures developing in utero, results from lack of fetal movement. Some cases are genetically determined, but AMC occasionally complicates pregnancy in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) suggesting involvement of circulating maternal antibodies. We previously demonstrated antibodies that inhibited the function of fe...

Experimentation in late-gestation fetal sheep has suggested that regulation of amniotic fluid (AF) volume occurs primarily by modulating the rate of intramembranous transport of water and solutes across the amnion into underlying fetal blood vessels. In order to gain insight into intramembranous transport mechanisms, we developed a computer model that allows simulation of experimentally measure...

Fetal heart rate (FHR) is an important determinant of fetal health. Cardiotocography (CTG) is widely used for measuring the FHR in the clinical field. However, fetal movement and blood flow through the maternal blood vessels can critically influence Doppler ultrasound signals. Moreover, CTG is not suitable for long-term monitoring. Therefore, researchers have been developing algorithms to estim...