Maternal Movement Research Articles

The value of women and children.

THE HISTORY of how a nation treats its mothers and children is a fascinating revelation of its public policy and the social values that motivate its actions. Recently, historians, particularly feminist historians, have focused on the development of programs to aid women and children and in doing so they have brought to the fore the origins of public policy and the vital role women played as volunteers, activists, and professionals in creating welfare-state structures. Several excellent recent histories of maternal and infant health movements of the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and France have illuminated both the political power of women to shape welfare policy and the changing nature of the economic value nations place on their children (Klaus, 1993; Meckel, 1990). A declining birth rate, economic competition, and frequent wars in Western Europe in the late 19th century forced governments to reassess the value of children's lives to their nations. Concern for the number and health of future mothers, soldiers, and workers transcended political divisions and led to powerful coalitions that moved governments to initiate public supported maternal and child welfare programs. In no country was this more true than in France, where declining birthrates, viewed as a potential national catastrophe led to innovative health programs and financial support for mothers and children. American political leaders and reformers of the late 19th century also came to view women and children as a national resource but for different reasons. The massive influx of immigrants, with their unknown physical and moral attributes, frightened many citizens. Reformers, citing increases in crime, mental illness, alcoholism, and prostitution, sought ways to increase the birthrate among the native-born white middle class, in the hope that this would counteract the harmful eugenic effects of immigration. Women, not yet legally enfranchised, had assumed expertise and dominion over motherhood and children and as such, they were natural leaders in the maternal-child health movement. Political coalitions of women's national organizations, church groups, and social reformers convinced Congress that the establishment of the Federal Children's Bureau, in 1912, was necessary to protect America's children. In addition, the availability of women nurses, social workers, and physicians to staff the new bureau and its innovative child activities assured adherence to its congres

Infant response to the still-face situation at 3 and 6 months.

Infant response to the still-face situation at 3 and 6 months.

Effect of maternal-fetal movement on concentration of cells obtained at genetic amniocentesis

The number of viable amniotic fluid cells in the aliquot obtained at amniocentesis is an important determinant of the success of subsequent cell culture. However, cell concentration and viability are highly variable, even in samples of equivalent gestational age. We studied the effect of prescribed maternal position change or spontaneous fetal movement on the concentration, viability, and subsequent harvest time of amniotic fluid cells removed at genetic amniocentesis. Samples from 108 patients at 15 to 22 weeks' gestation were evaluated. We did not find a relationship between this type of maternal or fetal movement and the retrieval of amniotic fluid cells.

Umbilical cord haematoma as a complication of intrauterine intravascular blood transfusion

Between October 1985 and February 1989, 49 ultrasound-guided intravascular fetal blood transfusions were performed in 16 patients (14 with rhesus (Rh) isoimmunization, 2 with non-immunologic hydrops fetalis (NIHF)). As an intra-operative complication, perivascular haematoma of the cord occurred in three patients (7 per cent). In two cases, fetal bradycardia necessitated delivery by Caesarean section at 30 and 32 weeks' gestation, respectively. In the third case, fetal bradycardia developed during transfusion, at 31 weeks' gestation, but normalized within 3 min. The baby was delivered as planned at 36 weeks of gestation, after another transfusion at 34 weeks. Dislodgement of the needle tip into perivascular tissue, caused by sudden fetal or maternal movements, is the reason for this complication. The haematoma develops as a result of delayed recognition and continuous transfusion into Wharton's jelly. Cord haematoma may be diagnosed in time by continuous ultrasound imaging, as illustrated in case 3. To minimize the risk of needle dislodgement during transfusion, sedation of the mother and complete immobilization of the fetus by injecting a short-acting muscle relaxant into the umbilical vessel are recommended.

A transducer for recording fetal movements and sounds based on an inductive principle.

Recording fetal breathing movements requires a transducer with a large dynamic range. The compliance of the transducer should be matched to the compliance of the maternal abdominal wall in order to pass the very weak acoustic signal caused by heart sounds and fetal breathing movements on to the transducer. The output signal is stored on the hard disc of a personal computer (PC) simultaneously with a control signal indicating the presence of breathing movements. Ultrasound imaging is exclusively used for verification of breathing movements. The images are stored on videotape simultaneously with control signals from the PC for synchronisation of data and image. Substantial digital filtering is necessary to discriminate between actual breathing movements and other fetal activities. It is shown that by optimal adjustment of the transducer's compliance to that of the maternal abdominal wall individual breathing movements can indeed be measured.

Autoregressive spectral estimation of fetal breathing movement

Fetal breathing movement (FBM) in utero may be an indicator of fetal health. This paper provides a second-by-second estimate of FBM rate. In the absence of a statistical model for the fetal breathing movement, block data structured autoregressive spectral estimation is used. The optimum tapered Burg algorithm provides a minimum variance breathing rate estimate from a short block of data. The data were recorded using a PVDF (PolyVinyliDeneFluoride) transducer which picks up maternal abdominal wall movements. A peak tracking algorithm is used to extract the fetal breathing rate. Results from these signals are presented in graphical form. Further analysis of the fetal breathing rate has revealed periodicities, similar to that observed in the fetal heart rate.

The influence of signal loss on the comparison between computer analyses of the fetal heart rate in labour using pulsed doppler ultrasound (with autocorrelation) and simultaneous scalp electrocardiogram

A comparison between the computer analyses of records of the fetal heart rate (FHR) obtained simultaneously by pulsed doppler ultrasound with autocorrelation and by fetal scalp electrocardiogram (ECG) in labour showed no statistical differences when signal loss was less than 2%. Increasing signal loss, due to maternal movement, correlated significantly with greater differences between ultrasound and ECG values for mean FHR variation (r = 0.58, p < 0.005). With higher signal loss (average 15.6%) the mean FHR variation measured by ultrasound was significantly lower than that measured by ECG (T = 3.83, p < 0.005) but this reduction was not of clinical significance.

Analysis of fetal breathing in real time using a microprocessor.

A system has been designed using an inexpensive microprocessor to analyze fetal breathing movements on a breath-by-breath basis in real time. An algorithm was developed which would recognize fetal breathing from the changes in tracheal pressure and which was capable of rejecting the artifactual changes caused by fetal or maternal movements. The tracheal pressure signal was digitized (at 51 samples/s), differentiated, and the start and peak of each breath was recognized from the zero-crossing points of the differentiated signal. Each breath was validated for size and shape according to a set of criteria incorporated into the breath recognition algorithm. On acceptance of the pressure change as a valid breath, the inspiratory time, breath amplitude, breath-to-breath interval, and inspiratory effort were calculated and stored in memory. The program was structured so that the microprocessor was able to accept new data and output summarizes of previous data concurrently. More than 95% of breaths in records contaminated with movement artifacts were recognized.

The measurement of fetal movement using a strain-gauge transducer.

Strain-gauge transducers are a simple and safe means of measuring fetal movement. The transducers do, however, respond to all abdominal movement and thus the measuring instrument must discriminate between maternal and fetal movements. The discrimination may be achieved by choosing an appropriate size for the transducer and also by using an adaptive filter. The success of the adaptive filter is illustrated on real data.

FETAL BREATHING MOVEMENTS AND ULTRASOUND

The occurrence and significance of fetal breathing movements have been debated over the past 80 years. Ahlfeld's 1 observations of maternal abdominal wall movement, felt to be representative of fetal breathing movements, were apparently disbelieved by his colleagues in the late 19th century. Throughout the years, fetal breathing movements have been observed in many species at cesarean section and were attributed to external or asphyxial stimuli. 2 In the recent past, techniques of catheter placement and blood gas determinations have made possible evaluation of the status of the fetus engaged in breathing activity. A number of investigators involved in the study of fetal physiology have made prolonged and detailed observations of the fetus (especially the fetal lamb) in the exteriorized preparation, with the body temperature maintained and the umbilical circulation intact. If nonasphyxial fetal breathing occurred, it would seem that it would have been noted. 3 Sir Joseph Barcroft 4

OBSERVATIONS OF FETAL BREATHING MOVEMENTS TRANSMITTED THROUGH MATERNAL ABDOMINAL WALL

Abstract One hundred women during the second half of pregnancy were observed, and fetal breathing movements were seen transmitted through the maternal abdominal wall in thirty-four. These movements were more often present in multi-gravidae towards term. The origin of the movements was checked by comparing traces of maternal abdominal-wall movements with ultrasound A scans of the fetal chest: the frequencies were similar, and different from the maternal pulse-rate.

Maternal mo(ve)ments in memory work

This is a textual introduction to the video piece ‘Maternal mo(ve)ments in memory work.’ The purpose of the video piece is to approach the production of collective and memory work data through its mo(ve)ments, sounds, and affects, and to perceive memory as a collective process of production. In order to question the construction of memory as a ‘singular entity’ and build an understanding of memory as the collective production of mo(ve)ments, I have combined the extracts of memory work recordings and collaborative writings with ‘snapshots’ of theory on memory and affect on the video display. The video piece begins by presenting the ‘excerpts’ of memory work recordings and their transcripts. Another set of memory work transcripts follows these, also providing writings and recorded expressions of the memory work encounters. The piece ends with ‘snapshots’ of theoretical insights on the presented data. The oral articulations/‘voices’ on the video are of women in my family and the written articulations are of Laestadian women in my study.