Open AccessContinuous monitoring of fetal scalp temperature in labor: a new technology validated in a fetal lamb model
Author(s) -
LAVESSON TONY,
AMERWÅHLIN ISIS,
HANSSON STEFAN,
LEY DAVID,
MARŠÁL KAREL,
OLOFSSON PER
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016341003758948
Subject(s) - medicine , fetus , scalp , forehead , umbilical cord , asphyxia , umbilical vein , anesthesia , surgery , pregnancy , anatomy , genetics , biology , biochemistry , chemistry , in vitro
Objective. To evaluate a new technical equipment for continuous recording of human fetal scalp temperature in labor. Design. Experimental animal study. Methods. Two temperature sensors were placed subcutaneously and intracranially on the forehead of 10 fetal lambs and connected to a temperature monitoring system. The system records temperatures simultaneously on‐line and stores data to be analyzed off‐line. Throughout the experiment, the fetus was oxygenated via the umbilical cord circulation. Asphyxia was induced by intermittent cord compression, as assessed by pH in jugular vein blood. The intracranial (ICT) and subcutaneous (SCT) temperatures were compared with simple and polynomial regression analyses. Main outcome measures. Absolute and delta ICT and SCT changes. Results. ICT and SCT were both successfully recorded in all 10 cases. With increasing acidosis, the temperatures decreased. The correlation coefficient between ICT and SCT had a range of 0.76–0.97 (median 0.88) by simple linear regression and 0.80–0.99 (median 0.89) by second grade polynomial regression. After an initial system stabilization period of 10 minutes, the delta temperature values (ICT minus SCT) were less than 1.5°C throughout the experiment in all but one case. Conclusions. The fetal forehead SCT mirrored the ICT closely, with the ICT being higher.