An overview of central fetal monitoring systems in labour

Abstract

A variety of systems for centralised viewing of fetal signals during labour are currently available, allowing simultaneous monitoring of multiple tracings in one or more locations. Display of maternal vital signs, ST signals and an electronic partogram are available in the majority of these systems. A few of them have incorporated computer analysis of cardiotocographic signals or combined cardiotocographic and ST data analysis. Computer analysis may elicit real-time alerts for healthcare professionals when changes associated with fetal hypoxia are detected. Central fetal monitoring systems have been installed in a large number of maternity hospitals in industrialised countries, but there is still limited evidence of their impact on perinatal indicators, on the behaviour of healthcare professionals and on related health costs.

Entropy and Compression Capture Different Complexity Features: The Case of Fetal Heart Rate

“…FHR is generally assessed in beats per minute to evaluate fetal wellbeing allowing for an obstetrician to intervene and prevent potentially irreversible fetal brain damage or death. Despite the importance of FHR monitoring, poor reproducibility of visual analysis of cardiotocograms have been reported [1,3], and consequently computerized FHR analysis and new Entropy 2017, 19, 688 2 of 9 signal processing and pattern recognition techniques have been developed [4][5][6]. In this setting, complexity analysis of FHR recordings remains one of the most challenging tasks.…”

Comparison of the effect of different sampling modes on computer analysis of cardiotocograms

“…A small number of computer systems for analysis of the CTG have been developed in order to overcome the limitations of visual assessment of tracings by healthcare professionals, and to improve the objectivity and reproducibility of CTG interpretation [14]. These systems comprise the computation of CTG parameters, such as baseline, variability, accelerations and decelerations, which have been shown to be related with the state of fetal oxygenation and with the activity of the autonomic nervous system [4].…”

The effect of gender, gestational age and behavioral states on fetal heart rate variability

“…Visual analysis of CTG tracings is associated with high intra-and inter-operator disagreement [3], which has led to the development of systems for computer analysis of CTG tracings [4]. These systems commonly rely on the use of simple linear time-domain indices, which provide only a limited understanding of all the information contained in the FHR signal.…”