Diagnosing antenatal fetal distress

The values of acceleration capacity and deceleration capacity are known to capture fetal neurological development. The fetal growth restriction was found to be featured by decreased variables of phase rectified signal averaging. We have speculated that acceleration capacity and deceleration capacity could be of use in the detection of antenatal fetal distress during fetal growth restriction. The study was focused on the detection of the accuracy of acceleration capacity and deceleration capacity in diagnosing fetal distress.

In total, 124 pregnant women at 26-36 weeks of gestation were included in the study. The patients with appropriate to gestational age fetuses (n = 32) were enrolled in Group I. The patients with fetal growth restriction and an absence of fetal distress (n = 48) were observed in Group II. Lastly, the patients with fetal growth restriction and fetal distress (n = 44) were included in Group III. Fetal cardiosignals were obtained via non-invasive fetal electrocardiography. The maximally decreased acceleration capacity and deceleration capacity values were found in Group III.

A correlation was found between umbilical artery resistance index and acceleration capacity and deceleration capacity variables in all study groups. We have found that the application of phase rectified signal averaging in the antenatal period showed high sensitivity and specificity in fetal distress detection.

Fetal acceleration capacity and deceleration capacity is a prospective option for the detection of fetal compromise during fetal growth restriction.