Emergent Behaviors in a Deterministic Model of the Human Uterus

The human birth process is powered by uterine contractions that have observable patterns that depend on the physiology of muscular activity. We explored a previously designed model(1) simulating the uterus to assess global contractile patterns. The model is a cellular automaton that simulates the complexities of uterine activity from a few simple rules of cellular interaction and uterine geometry. Multiple experiments using the cellular automaton involved different uterine shapes, cell numbers, and initial distributions of active and resting cells. Results demonstrate complex contraction patterns similar to those observed in human labor. At least 2 modes of behavior appear in the simulations, one consistent with effective labor and one not. Experiments with cellular automata provide insights into stereotypic and disordered labor patterns that produce patient discomfort without progress in labor. We hypothesize that complex uterine contraction patterns may have other roles in the preparation for labor and birth.