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Fetal responses to external stimuli
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
The fetus is clearly able to respond to various external stimuli. The nature of the response is related to gestational age, intact neurologic function, and also the behavioral state of the fetus. Of the various modalities described herein, vibroacoustic stimulation utilizing an artificial larynx appears to be clinically useful in both ante- and intrapartum management. The positive predictive value is excellent (greater than 99 per cent). The fetus who responds to the stimulus with an acceptable acceleration is uniformly nonacidotic. Like many other tests of fetal health, vibroacoustic stimulation is less useful in predicting fetuses in distress, as many fail to respond and yet show no signs of compromise. It is evident that there is no single test that is without false-positives; thus accurate assessment of fetal health will depend upon utilization of a variety of biophysical parameters.
The fetus is clearly able to respond to various external stimuli. The nature of the response is related to gestational age, intact neurologic function, and also the behavioral state of the fetus. Of the various modalities described herein, vibroacoustic stimulation utilizing an artificial larynx appears to be clinically useful in both ante- and intrapartum management. The positive predictive value is excellent (greater than 99 per cent). The fetus who responds to the stimulus with an acceptable acceleration is uniformly nonacidotic. Like many other tests of fetal health, vibroacoustic stimulation is less useful in predicting fetuses in distress, as many fail to respond and yet show no signs of compromise. It is evident that there is no single test that is without false-positives; thus accurate assessment of fetal health will depend upon utilization of a variety of biophysical parameters.