2. A Brief Overview What is fetal heart rate monitoring ? When it is required? Why go for fetal heart rate monitoring ?Why as early as possible? Fetal heart rate monitoring till date . Methods. Ultrasound. ECG belts Their Disadvantages.
3. Contd… Proposed heart rate monitoring method. Plan. Method. Explanation with circuit concepts. Advantages of the proposed methodology over currently available techniques. Role of a biomedical Engineer. References.
4. What is fetal heart rate monitoring Fetal heart rate monitoring is recording of ECG & CTG and monitoring of the heart as a whole of a fetus . Only screening tests are available for monitoring fetal activity inside placenta, now-a-days. The only accurate test till date is the antenatal testing. But the monitoring of fetus should be done as early as possible.
5. Why go for fetal heart rate monitoring? Why as early as possible?
6. Contd… The fetal heart beat is an important parameter in determining hypoxia. Bradycardia occurrence can be detected. Fetal heart rate is an indirect way of measurement of pH of the body. Any abnormality in the structure of heart can be found by observing the ECG and PCG.
7. Tools for Fetal Welfare Assessment There are many tools available for assessing fetal welfare. All tests have a reasonably low incidence of finding true fetal compromise. There are broadly two methods for fetal heart rate monitoring: Ultrasound ECG
8. Ultrasound Introduced from the late 1950’s and is currently considered a safe, non-invasive and cost-effective investigation. Dating scans Nuchal Translucency scans Anomaly scans Growth scans Liquor Assessment Arterial Doppler Wave Form Studies
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11. ECG Monitoring Monitoring the baby's heart using electrocardiography (ECG) plus cardiotocography (CTG) during labour helps mothers and babies when continuous monitoring is needed. This is done by placement of scalp electrodes on the baby during labour.
12. Disadvantages Inaccurate Many interferences observed in ECG. No clear picture of heart is obtained.
13. Proposed heart rate monitoring method The proposed method for recording the heart beat accurately and earlier consists of a wide belt, fitted with several ECG electrodes. The data from the electrodes is fed to a monitor which analyses the data on an algorithm, for clear ECG data of the fetus.
15. The Adaptive filter x(n) = v(n) + m(n) x(n) : primary input to the filter, observed signal v(n) : signal of interest m(n) : primary noise Adaptive filtering requires a second input r(n), ‘reference input’
17. Advantages Accurate. Fetal heart rate can be found earlier. Multidimensional view of fetal heart can be obtained.
18. References Elizabeth Thomson.(2009).Techtalk. New system allows earlier monitoring of fetalheartbeat.53(27),4. NSWHEALTH.(2008).Fetal Physiology.Cooke H. & Giles W.Retrived august 2009.
CTG-cardiotocography.Antenatal testing- ECG of fetus during labour.
Hypoxia: Short of breath. As it builds up, sympathetic nervous system causes vasoconstriction and the fetal heart rate variability decreases.Abnormalities like defective heart valves , backflow of blood, i,ii,iii degree av blockage, etc.
Many of the tools should be considered screening tests only.Often a combination of tests is required to develop the full picture of fetal welfare.“Palpation, or examination by touch, is a process of the ‘hands-on’ identification and assessment of the position, growth and wellbeing of the baby” It establishes the lie of the fetus, determines the presenting part, descent and liquor volume
