Linear and nonlinear features of fetal heart rate on the assessment of fetal development in the course of pregnancy and the impact of fetal gender

Abstract

Objective: This work aims to investigate the impact of gestational age and fetal gender on fetal heart rate (FHR) tracings. Approach: Different linear and nonlinear parameters indicating correlation or complexity were used to study the influence of fetal age and gender on FHR tracings. The signals were recorded from 99 normal pregnant women in a singleton pregnancy at gestational ages from 28 to 40 weeks, before the onset of labor. There were 56 female fetuses and 43 male. Main results: Analysis of FHR shows that the means as well as measures of irregularity of FHR, such as approximate entropy and algorithmic complexity, decrease as gestation progresses. There were also indications that mutual information and multiscale entropy were lower in male fetuses in early pregnancy. Significance: Fetal age and gender seem to influence FHR tracings. Taking this into consideration would improve the interpretation of FHR monitoring.