Responses to vibroacoustic stimulation in a fetus with an encephalocele compared to responses of normal fetuses
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Cathelijne F. van Heteren
Abstract
Background: Observation of fetal movement and fetal heart rate (FHR) responses to repeated vibroacoustic stimulation (VAS) might be useful as a measure to assess fetal well-being and to assess the integrity of the fetal central nervous system (CNS). We observed the movement and FHR responses to repeated VAS of a term fetus with a serious brain anomaly as compared to responses of normal term fetuses.
Subjects, methods, results: In 37 normal term fetuses and in a term fetus with an encephalocele we studied movement and FHR response to repeated VAS. All normal fetuses responded within 1 s after stimulation with general body movement and FHR acceleration. At 36 gestational weeks, no movement or FHR responses were seen in the fetus with an encephalocele. Repetition of the test in this fetus after one week still showed no response to repeated VAS.
Conclusion: Normal fetuses showed movement and FHR responses to external stimulation. The fetus with an encephalocele did not respond to repeated VAS with a movement or FHR acceleration. Case studies in fetuses with structural anomalies of the CNS are needed to gain insight into the spectrum of possible responses to VAS.
Copyright (c)2000 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG
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Articles in the same Issue
- HELLP Syndrome
- Perinatal brain injury
- An overview of the possible relationship between antenatal pharmacologic magnesium and cerebral palsy
- A corticotropin releasing hormone receptor antagonist does not delay parturition in rats
- Clinical usefulness of pulse oximetry in the fetus with non-reassuring heart rate pattern?
- Responses to vibroacoustic stimulation in a fetus with an encephalocele compared to responses of normal fetuses
- Neonatal sepsis of vertical transmission: an epidemiological study from the “Grupo de Hospitales Castrillo”
- Why are cesarean delivery rates so high in diabetic pregnancies?
- Uterine artery pseudo-aneurysm: diagnosis and therapy during pregnancy
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