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Fetal movement in the third trimester of normal pregnancy

Valentin, Lil LU orcid and Marsal, Karel LU (1986) In Early Human Development 14(3-4). p.295-306
Abstract
Changes in fetal motor activity may reflect changes in central nervous function and in the health of the fetus. Recording of fetal movement (FM) has therefore been suggested as a method of assessing fetal well-being. To establish the normal range of FMs in the third trimester of pregnancy, FMs were studied cross-sectionally in 180 and longitudinally in 6 healthy women with normal pregnancies. FMs were recorded simultaneously by the mother and by a FM detector using four piezo-electric crystals attached to the maternal abdomen. The recordings lasted for 45 min (cross-sectional study) or 30 min (longitudinal study). The median numbers of FMs recorded during 45 min by the FM detector and by the mother were 85 (2.5th percentile, 14; 97.5th... (More)
Changes in fetal motor activity may reflect changes in central nervous function and in the health of the fetus. Recording of fetal movement (FM) has therefore been suggested as a method of assessing fetal well-being. To establish the normal range of FMs in the third trimester of pregnancy, FMs were studied cross-sectionally in 180 and longitudinally in 6 healthy women with normal pregnancies. FMs were recorded simultaneously by the mother and by a FM detector using four piezo-electric crystals attached to the maternal abdomen. The recordings lasted for 45 min (cross-sectional study) or 30 min (longitudinal study). The median numbers of FMs recorded during 45 min by the FM detector and by the mother were 85 (2.5th percentile, 14; 97.5th percentile, 232) and 41 (2.5th percentile, 10; 97.5th percentile, 135), respectively. The median 45-min incidences of FMs recorded by the FM detector and by the mother were 8.1% (2.5th percentile, 1.3; 97.5th percentile, 30.2) and 3.7% (2.5th percentile, 0.9; 97.5th percentile, 15.6), respectively. Neither the number nor the incidence of FMs changed appreciably as gestational age advanced. The interindividual variance in the number and incidence of FMs was two to three times greater than the intra-individual variance (longitudinal study). The large variation in the quantity of FMs recorded during 30 and 45 min limits the value of using quantitative FM recording for antepartum fetal monitoring. Individualized normal limits of the quantity of FMs might be preferable to general limits. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
normal pregnancy, fetal movement detector, fetal movement, maternal fetal movement counting
in
Early Human Development
volume
14
issue
3-4
pages
295 - 306
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:0023006051
ISSN
1872-6232
DOI
10.1016/0378-3782(86)90192-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
57580849-4bb2-4cfd-a910-18630417d9d8 (old id 1103641)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:11:52
date last changed
2021-01-03 08:13:14
@article{57580849-4bb2-4cfd-a910-18630417d9d8,
  abstract     = {{Changes in fetal motor activity may reflect changes in central nervous function and in the health of the fetus. Recording of fetal movement (FM) has therefore been suggested as a method of assessing fetal well-being. To establish the normal range of FMs in the third trimester of pregnancy, FMs were studied cross-sectionally in 180 and longitudinally in 6 healthy women with normal pregnancies. FMs were recorded simultaneously by the mother and by a FM detector using four piezo-electric crystals attached to the maternal abdomen. The recordings lasted for 45 min (cross-sectional study) or 30 min (longitudinal study). The median numbers of FMs recorded during 45 min by the FM detector and by the mother were 85 (2.5th percentile, 14; 97.5th percentile, 232) and 41 (2.5th percentile, 10; 97.5th percentile, 135), respectively. The median 45-min incidences of FMs recorded by the FM detector and by the mother were 8.1% (2.5th percentile, 1.3; 97.5th percentile, 30.2) and 3.7% (2.5th percentile, 0.9; 97.5th percentile, 15.6), respectively. Neither the number nor the incidence of FMs changed appreciably as gestational age advanced. The interindividual variance in the number and incidence of FMs was two to three times greater than the intra-individual variance (longitudinal study). The large variation in the quantity of FMs recorded during 30 and 45 min limits the value of using quantitative FM recording for antepartum fetal monitoring. Individualized normal limits of the quantity of FMs might be preferable to general limits.}},
  author       = {{Valentin, Lil and Marsal, Karel}},
  issn         = {{1872-6232}},
  keywords     = {{normal pregnancy; fetal movement detector; fetal movement; maternal fetal movement counting}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3-4}},
  pages        = {{295--306}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Early Human Development}},
  title        = {{Fetal movement in the third trimester of normal pregnancy}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0378-3782(86)90192-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/0378-3782(86)90192-1}},
  volume       = {{14}},
  year         = {{1986}},
}