Fetal phonocardiography--past and future possibilities

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Fetal phonocardiography (FPCG) has undergone 15 years of development, focusing on signal processing for sound component identification.
• Traditional Cardiotocography (CTG) is the standard for fetal monitoring, but has limitations in long-term assessment and detailed cardiac analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the advancements in fetal phonocardiography over 15 years.
• To demonstrate the potential of FPCG for long-term fetal measurements and home monitoring.
• To highlight FPCG's capability in detecting congenital heart defects through heart murmur analysis.

Main Methods:

• Review of 15 years of research and development in fetal phonocardiography.
• Application of advanced signal processing techniques for fetal heart sound analysis.
• Integration of FPCG with telemedicine for remote patient monitoring.

Main Results:

• Fetal phonocardiography is effective for long-term fetal measurements and home monitoring, complementing CTG.
• Analysis of fetal heart sounds can identify murmurs indicative of congenital heart defects in the third trimester.
• Early screening for fetal cardiac anomalies is feasible using FPCG and telemedicine.

Conclusions:

• Fetal phonocardiography offers a valuable, non-invasive tool for comprehensive fetal cardiac assessment.
• The integration of FPCG into telemedicine systems facilitates remote monitoring and early detection of heart defects.
• Widespread screening for fetal heart conditions can be achieved by combining FPCG with existing CTG protocols.