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Ethnic analogies and differences in fetal heart rate variability signal: A retrospective study
Author(s) -
Tagliaferri Salvatore,
Esposito Francesca Giovanna,
Fagioli Rosa,
Di Cresce Marco,
Sacchi Lucia,
Signorini Maria Gabriella,
Campanile Marta,
Martinelli Pasquale,
Magenes Giovanni
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1447-0756
pISSN - 1341-8076
DOI - 10.1111/jog.13213
Subject(s) - approximate entropy , medicine , fetus , heart rate , gestation , analysis of variance , fetal heart rate , heart rate variability , ethnic group , cardiology , fetal movement , demography , pregnancy , statistics , blood pressure , mathematics , time series , biology , genetics , sociology , anthropology
Abstract Aim We aimed to analyze computerized cardiotocographic (cCTG) parameters (including fetal heart rate baseline, short‐term variability, Delta, long‐term irregularity [LTI], interval index [II], low frequency [LF], movement frequency [MF], high frequency [HF], and approximate entropy [ApEn]) in physiological term pregnancies in order to correlate them with ethnic differences. The clinical meaning of numerical parameters may explain physiological or paraphysiological phenomena that occur in fetuses of different ethnic origins. Methods A total of 696 pregnant women, including 384 from Europe, 246 from sub‐Saharan Africa, 45 from South‐East Asia, and 21 from South America, were monitored from the 37th to the 41st week of gestation. Statistical analysis was performed with the analysis of variance test, Pearson correlation test and receiver–operator curves ( P < 0.05). Results Our results showed statistically significant differences ( P < 0.05) between white and black women for Delta, LTI, LF, MF, HF, and ApEn; between white and Asian women for Delta, LTI, MF, and the LF/(HF + MF) ratio; and between white and Latina women for Delta, LTI, and ApEn. In particular, Delta and LTI performed better in the white group than in the black, Asian, and Latina groups. Instead, LF, MF, HF, and ApEn performed better in the black than in the white group. Conclusion Our results confirmed the integrity and normal functionality of both central and autonomic nervous system components for all fetuses investigated. Therefore, CTG monitoring should include both linear and nonlinear components of fetal heart rate variability in order to avoid misinterpretations of the CTG trace among ethnic groups.