The role of intrapartum vibroacoustic stimulation in the prediction of neonatal myasthenia gravis

Abstract

Background: The exact mechanism for the development of neonatal myasthenia gravis is unclear, and the occurrence of neonatal myasthenia gravis cannot be predicted.

Case: A case of normal duration of fetal forearm extention with return to flexion in response to vibroacoustic stimulation, and the pertinent details concerning neonatal myasthenia gravis and vibroacoustic stimulation test are described.

Conclusions: Inasmuch as fetal acoustic stimulation test results in a fetal reaction resembling the startle response of the newborn, we think that it will worthwhile to perform this test antenatally in the next encountered fetuses of myasthenic mothers in order to assess its role in the prediction of neonatal myasthenia gravis.