Changes in heart rate variability and pulse wave characteristics during normal pregnancy and postpartum

Abstract

In the present study, the ongoing maternal haemodynamic and cardiovascular changes during pregnancy and postpartum stage have been studied using pulse waveform analysis. The ECG and pulse are simultaneously recorded from the subjects in the first trimester, second trimester, third trimester pregnant women and postpartum. The heart rate variability (HRV) and the pulse characteristics such as pulse rate interval (PR), peak to peak amplitude (PP), rise time (T1), width (W), slope (dV/dt) of the percussion wave are measured and pulse transit time (PTT) in each cardiac cycle is computed. The analysis shows that mean PR, PP, T1, slope, W and PTT are statistically significant differences during pregnancy compared to the postpartum stage. The results suggest that pulse parameters can be used for quantification of sympathetic and parasympathetic activities and the haemodynamic changes during pregnancy.