TY - JOUR
TI - Computerized analysis of fetal heart rate variability using the matching
pursuit technique as an indicator of fetal hypoxia during labor
AU - Salamalekis, E.
AU - Hintipas, E.
AU - Salloum, I.
AU - Vasios, G. and
AU - Loghis, C.
AU - Vitoratos, N.
AU - Chrelias, Ch.
AU - Creatsas, G.
JO - Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine
PY - 2006
VL - 19
TODO - 3
SP - 165-169
PB - TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD LONDON
SN - 1476-7058, 1476-4954
TODO - 10.1080/14767050500233290
TODO - matching pursuits; fetal heart rate variability; fetal hypoxia
TODO - Objective. To determine whether the computerized analysis of fetal heart
rate variability with the new matching pursuit technique can indicate
fetal distress during labor.
Study design. Eighty women were studied during the intrapartum period
with external cardiotocography. In all cases, cord arterial pH and 5-min
Apgar Scores were evaluated. Six cases that presented large segments of
missing data were excluded from the study. The remaining 74 women were
divided into two groups; 32 women with normal ( Group A) and 42 women
with non-reassuring FHR tracings ( group B). Group B was divided in
subgroup BI, including 24 women with pH >7.20, and BII, including 18
women with pH <7.20. In order to evaluate the FHR fluctuations, in
different frequency ranges, we applied an adaptive time-frequency
method, called Matching Pursuit. We estimated the power of the FHR
signal in four frequency ranges.
Results. The 5-min Apgar Scores were significantly lower in both
subgroup BI and subgroup BII ( p=0.003 and p= 0.003 respectively). The
Low Low Frequency (LLF) parameter appears to recognize better the cases
with lower pH ( sensitivity 78.5%, specificity 52.3%) than the cases
with non-reassuring FHR (66.6%, 56.2). The sensitivity and specificity
of the Very Low Frequency (VLF) parameter were 72.2% and 59%
respectively in recognizing the cases with lower pH and 64.2% and
53.1% in recognizing non-reassuring FHR.
Conclusion. Fetal hypoxia during labor can be recognized using the MP
technique for the analysis of FHR signal power in the VLF and LLF
frequency ranges. Since the analysis is feasible in real-time, it can be
a useful tool for the intrapartum evaluation of fetal well-being.
ER -