Correlation between Gestational Age and Fetal Activity Periods

Abstract

Cyclic patterns of active and quiet fetal activity were evaluated in 36 clinically normal gravidas between 27 and 42 weeks of gestation. All infants were subsequently delivered between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation, were clinically normal and of appropriate weight for gestational age. Active-quiet cycles occurred less frequently and were of longer duration with increasing gestational age. Regression analysis of the number of active-quiet cycles with gestational age yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.52 (p < 0.01). The similarity of fetal active-quiet cycles and active and quiet sleep cycles observed after birth is noted.

Daily fetal movement counting A valuable assessment tool

“…Dierken et al 6 in 1982 studied the number of quiet‐active cycles in regard to advancing gestational age. They found that the actual number of cycles showed a significant decrease with increasing gestational age.…”

Early development of sleep and brain functional connectivity in term-born and preterm infants

“…It serves multiple purposes for ensuring brain health, including memory consolidation, emotional processing, and most importantly, maintaining neural networks and synaptic plasticity (1)(2)(3)(4). Sleep begins to develop in early fetal life, during which it is described as an alternation in behavioral states (5)(6)(7). Poor quality sleep in the fetal and neonatal period is associated with lifelong developmental consequences.…”