Non invasive monitoring of fetal heart rate for diagnosis and prognosis

OUEST VALORISATION



06 Novembre 2015

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Biology / Medical

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Health

pPROM, Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes occurring more than 12 hours before labor, represents 2% to 3% of pregnancies and around 1/3 of the preterm deliveries, i.e. more than 20 000 birth per year in France. For 15% to 36% of pPROM, chorioamnionitis (fetal infection) can occur, leading to an increase of respiratory diseases, pulmonary infectious pathologies or cerebral palsy.
Therefore, early diagnosis of chorioamnionitis in pPROM is a major goal in obstetrics nowadays, where there is still a lack of efficient methods and solutions.


The new method developed here is based on the analysis of the fetal heart rate variability (FHRV). A clinical retrospective study was conducted and allowed to generate an index, based on the FHRV parameters, especially the Short-Term Variation, and the Number of Episodes of High Variation.

This index, which appears to be a promising tool for the early diagnosis of chorioamnionitis, is currently under evaluation in a clinical study led in the CHU of Rennes. The cardiac signal is monitored by fetal Doppler acquisition, the most efficient technique currently known to be able to separate the fetal cardiac signal from the mother's one.

This index could be integrated into real-time monitors to offer a simple, easy-to use and non invasive solution for reproducible diagnosis.

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