Dependencies between maternal and fetal autonomic tone.

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Cardiology
• Fetal Medicine

Background:

• Maternal physiological disturbances can affect fetal development.
• Synchronous monitoring of maternal and fetal cardiac autonomic tone offers a diagnostic window.
• Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) are key indicators of autonomic tone.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate correlations between maternal and fetal cardiac autonomic tone.
• To assess the influence of gestational age and fetal state on these correlations.
• To examine the relationship between maternal psychological state and autonomic tone.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 315 magnetocardiographic (MCG) recordings from 141 healthy pregnant women.
• Calculated partial rank correlation coefficients between maternal and fetal HR and HRV indices.
• Assessed maternal self-perceived depression, anxiety, and stress using the DASS42G questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Maternal HRV positively correlated with fetal HRV and negatively with fetal HR.
• Correlations were stronger in active sleep and at gestational age ≥32 weeks.
• Maternal psychological state correlated with maternal HRV and HR, but not fetal autonomic tone.

Conclusions:

• Confirmed statistical correlations between maternal and fetal autonomic activation.
• These correlations are dependent on gestational age and fetal state.
• Maternal stress, anxiety, or depression is reflected in maternal, not fetal, autonomic tone in healthy pregnancies.