[Correlations between breathing movements, motor activity and cardiac rhythm in the fetus (author's transl)]

Abstract

Twenty-six patients who were between 34 and 41 weeks pregnant and who had no pathological condition were monitored at the same time by real time ultrasound and fetal cardiac monitoring. The observation carried out consisted in carefully recording the two principal types of fetal activity : breathing and active movements, which compared with changes in fetal cardiac rhythm. In this way it is possible to show that muscular activity carried out by the fetus brought about an increase in the heart rate in 91.7% of cases. Breathing activity does not by itself alter the heart rate but in 50% of cases it is followed by motor activity which does accelerate the heart's rhythm.