Open AccessFetal Heart rate Response to a Controlled Sound Stimulus as a Measure of Fetal Well‐Being
Author(s) -
Jensen Odd Harald
Publication year - 1984
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 - 10.3109/00016348409154642
Subject(s) - medicine , fetus , fetal heart rate , stimulus (psychology) , heart rate , fetal heart , cardiology , audiology , obstetrics , pregnancy , blood pressure , cognitive psychology , psychology , genetics , biology
. The fetal heart rate (FHR) response to a controlled sound stimulus of 80 dB was registered in 152 at‐risk pregnancies. Thirty‐four of the infants showed signs of an intra‐uterine pathological condition at birth, whereas 118 infants were clinically unaffected. The mean heart rate response was significantly weaker in the pathological group than in the normal group. A FHR response of less than 15 bpm was found to give a test sensitivity of 53%. The differences between the two groups revealed by the sound stimulation test corresponded to differences in birth weights and in Apgar score after 1 minute. The results indicate that the sound stimulation test is sensitive to minor changes in the condition of the fetus.