Fetal heart rate monitoring during nocturnal polysomnography

To evaluate the success rate of adding continuous electronic fetal heart rate monitoring (EFM) during full night polysomnography (PSG), in women with both gestational hypertension (GH) with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies.

As part of a larger study evaluating for the presence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in women with GH compared to women with uncomplicated pregnancies, continuous EFM was added to usual polysomnography.

Forty-eight EFM studies (26 with GH and 22 with uncomplicated pregnancies) were evaluated. EFM studies were categorized by the percentage of time that interpretable tracings were obtained: < 25% of the time; 25-50% of the time; or > 50% of the time. We deemed > 50% of the time to be ideal, but under the test conditions 25-50% of the time to be acceptable. For women with GH, 71% of women had ideal or acceptable overnight EFM tracings compared to 82% for women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Of those women who were diagnosed with SDB, 77% had an acceptable or ideal EFM tracing.

Adding EFM to conventional polysomnography is feasible and safe. It may prove an important adjunct as interest in sleep disorders of pregnancy continues to expand.