ABSTRACT
The present study concerns the developmental character of the fetal heart rate (FHR)
pattern and the implications of predicting the perinatal outcome. Data from 443 patients
undergoing 2193 nonstress tests were analyzed retrospectively. We found a significant
increase of accelerations more than 15 beats/min, of accelerations associated with
fetal movements, of fetal movements registered by the tocotransducer, the frequency
of oscillations, and of the Fischer score values throughout gestation. The number
of short FHR decreases and the mean baseline level declined throughout gestation.
A long duration of absent or reduced baseline variability registered even 6 weeks
before delivery was associated with low Apgar score values. Late decelerations and
contractions registered early in pregnancy were also correlated to a poor outcome.
Tachycardia and a low number of accelerations were only correlated to a poor perinatal
outcome shortly before the delivery. Fetal movements not associated with FHR accelerations
were an early indicator of a poor neonatal outcome. Scoring systems did not generally
improve the predictive value of FHR patterns.
