Heart Rate Monitoring in Newborn Babies: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Monitoring

Background:

• Approximately 10% of newborns require assistance during the transition after birth.
• Heart rate (HR) is a critical clinical indicator for assessing neonatal status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review established and novel methods for detecting neonatal heart rate.
• Emphasis was placed on non-invasive techniques for heart rate monitoring in infants.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL).
• Studies published in the last 15 years, comparing HR detection methods against pulse oximetry (PO) or electrocardiography (ECG) in term and preterm infants, were included.
• Data were analyzed for a narrative review focusing on monitoring types, challenges, and solutions.

Main Results:

• Of 649 studies identified, 25 met inclusion criteria.
• Traditional methods (auscultation, palpation) were found to be inaccurate.
• ECG and PO offer precision but have delays in signal acquisition (1-2 min).
• Novel sensors are minimally obtrusive but face challenges with movement artifacts and signal quality.

Conclusions:

• Limitations in current HR monitoring can impact neonatal morbidity and mortality.
• Developing accurate and rapid HR detection technologies is vital for neonatal care and interventions like resuscitation.