Until 25 years ago the only possible way of communicating with the "intrauterine" inmate apart from the fetal movements observed by the mother herself, was by auscultation of the fetal heart beats with a simple stethoscope. The following statement made by the two English pediatricians DOBBS and GAIRDNER in 1966 sums up the situation [23]. "Up to now the formidable inaccessibility of the human f...

Atrial flutter in infants is rare (Keith, Rowe, and Vlad, 1967) and was first reported by Lewis (1915) in an infant of 3 months. Carr and McClure (1931) reported atrial flutter in a newborn infant in whom the cardiac irregularity was noted occasionally before birth and in whom the heart rate and rhythm returned to normal on the 10th day after birth. Fetal tachycardia in such a case can lead to ...

Ischemic reperfusion (IR) during the perinatal period is a known causative factor of fetal brain damage. So far, both morphologic and histologic evidence has shown that fetal brain damage can be observed only several hours to days after an IR insult has occurred. Therefore, to prevent fetal brain damage under these circumstances, a more detailed understanding of the underlying molecular mechani...

INTRODUCTION Intrapartum fetal monitoring is essential for the identification of fetal hypoxia to reduce perinatal morbidity and mortality. Cardiotocography is associated with low specificity for fetal acidosis and poor perinatal outcome leading to unnecessary operative deliveries. ST waveform analysis of the fetal electrocardiogram has been shown to be a promising adjunctive intrapartum assess...

This paper concerns the likely origin of three mutations with large effects on ovulation rate identified in the Belclare and Cambridge sheep breeds; two in the BMP15 gene (FecX(G) and FecX(B)) and the third (FecG(H)) in GDF9. All three mutations segregate in Belclare sheep while one, FecX(B), has not been found in the Cambridge. Both Belclare and Cambridge breeds are relatively recently develop...

MAR\~N L. MEITUS, M.D., P.C.C.P. Miami Beach, Florida THE FIRST FETAL ELECTROCARDIOGRAM in utero was obtained by Cremer,' in 1906. Of the clinical applications of fetal electrocardiography described in the literature, the following are included: 1. Confirmation of fetal life in utero. 2. Detection of early (first-trimester) pre.pancy. 3. Proof of multiple pregnancy. 4. Dia~pmis of fetal positio...

This study examined the effects of pregnant women's acute stress reactivity and chronic anxiety on fetal heart rate (HR). Thirty-two healthy third trimester pregnant women were instrumented to monitor continuous electrocardiography, blood pressure, respiration, and fetal HR. Subjects completed the trait anxiety subscale of the State Trait Anxiety Index, then rested quietly for a 5-minute baseli...