Registration of fetal behaviour in multiple pregnancy

Multiple pregnancies require intensive monitoring of the fetal condition, in particular during the last months of pregnancy. Recording fetal behaviour offers a possibility of investigating the neuromotor development, in twin pregnancies even behavioural patterns of fetuses of the same gestational age and "environment" may be compared. In 25 primarily uncomplicated twin pregnancies we simultaneously recorded antepartum FHR and FM patterns in twins younger than 36 completed gestational weeks over a period of at least one hour via a new device for simultaneous registration of FM and FHR in twin pregnancies. According to our longitudinal observations we have defined a special terminology for comparing the behaviour of twins considering gestational age, differences of FHR or FM patterns and the continuity of these patterns throughout gestation. To our opinion this will open a new field not only for clinical diagnostics in complicated twin pregnancies but also for developmental research of the possible impact on the further neurological development of multiple fetuses. Human behaviour in its early stage may be compared considering even "interfetal communication".