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Studies on fetal forelimb movements by using a wrist actigraph in sheep
Shi-Qing Zhang1, Shiro Kozuma, Mio Tanaka
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokyo, Japan. sqzhang-tky@umin.ac.jp
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an actigraph can be a tool for measuring fetal movements in sheep. Actiwatches were placed on a fetal forelimb and the maternal uterine wall in near-term pregnant sheep. No significant correlation was found between fetal and maternal activity counts for periods of 1 min. The patterns of fetal activity counts were characterized by ultradian rhythms, with bursts of activity every 20-30 min; however, there was no evidence of diurnal changes in fetal activity counts. The results suggest that fetal movements can be measured by using an actigraph in chronically prepared fetal sheep.