Relationship between accelerations and decelerations in heart rate and skeletal muscle activity in fetal sheep

Accelerations in fetal heart rate have been shown to be closely related to fetal body movements and are indicative of well-being in the human fetus. We have examined the association of accelerations and decelerations in heart rate with skeletal muscle activity in 8 fetal sheep between 125 and 145 days' gestation. Accelerations/decelerations were defined as transient increases/decreases in fetal heart rate of greater than or equal to 10 beats/min. lasting for 5 s or longer. For accelerations (n = 1180), the mean duration was 18.8 +/- 1.5 s (SEM) and the mean amplitude was 25.3 +/- 1.2 beats/min; for decelerations (n = 237), the mean duration was 17.4 +/- 1.6 s and the mean amplitude was 18.7 +/- 1.0 beats/min. Electromyograms were recorded from the nuchal muscles and antagonistic muscle groups of the fetal forelimb and hindlimb. Electromyogram activity occurred during 88.4 +/- 2.8% of accelerations and 60.6 +/- 7.7% of decelerations. There was a 36.6% reduction in the number of accelerations following fetal paralysis with gallamine, but no change in their amplitude or duration. It is concluded that accelerations in heart rate are highly associated with skeletal muscle activity in fetal sheep. The majority of these occur as a result of central neuronal output rather than as a consequence of fetal movement.