Relative accuracy of computerized intrapartum fetal heart rate pattern recognition by ultrasound and abdominal electrocardiogram detection

Introduction Noninvasive fetal heart rate monitoring using transabdominal fetal electrocardiographic detection is now commercially available and has been demonstrated to be an effective alternative to traditional Doppler ultrasonographic techniques. Our objective in this study was to compare the results of computerized identification of fetal heart rate patterns generated by ultrasound-based and transabdominal fetal electrocardiogram-based techniques with simultaneously obtained fetal scalp electrode-derived heart rate information. Material and methods We applied an objective computer-based analysis for recognition of fetal heart rate patterns (Monica Decision Support) to data obtained simultaneously from a direct fetal scalp electrode, Doppler ultrasound, and the abdominal-fetal electrocardiogram techniques. This allowed us to compare over 145 hours of fetal heart rate patterns generated by the external devices with those derived from the scalp electrode in 30 term singleton uncomplicated pregnancies during labor. The direct fetal scalp electrode is considered to be the most accurate and reliable technique used in current clinical practice, and was, therefore, used as the standard for comparison. The program quantified the baseline heart rate, long- and short-term variability. It indicated when an acceleration or deceleration was present and whether it was large or small. Results Ultrasound was associated with significantly greater deviations from the fetal scalp electrode results than the abdominal fetal electrocardiogram technique in recognizing the correct baseline heart rate, its variability, and the presence of small and large accelerations and small decelerations. For large decelerations the two external methods were each not significantly different from the scalp electrode results. Conclusions Noninvasive fetal heart rate monitoring using maternal abdominal wall electrodes to detect fetal cardiac activity more reliably reproduced the computerized analysis of heart rate patterns derived from a direct fetal scalp electrode than did traditional ultrasound-based monitoring. Abdominal-fetal electrocardiogram should, therefore, be considered a primary option for externally monitored patients.