A comparison of fetal and neonatal heart rate variability at similar post-menstrual ages
- Resource Type
- Conference
- Authors
- Padhye, Nikhil S.; Verklan, M. Terese; Brazdeikis, Audrius; Williams, Amber L.; Khattak, Asif Z.; Lasky, Robert E.
- Source
- 2008 30th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 2008. EMBS 2008. 30th Annual International Conference of the IEEE. :2801-2804 Aug, 2008
- Subject
- Bioengineering
Pediatrics
Heart rate variability
Entropy
Autonomic nervous system
Magnetic separation
Magnetic noise
- Language
- ISSN
- 1094-687X
1558-4615
Substantial differences of heart rate variability (HRV) were found between fetuses and prematurely born neonates in the high-frequency band of the power spectrum. The range of post-menstrual ages of the fetuses and neonates were closely matched in this study. Growth of HRV was observed in low-frequency and high-frequency bands, reflecting maturation of the autonomic nervous system. The higher level of fetal HRV in the high-frequency band persisted even after accounting for age-related changes. Multiscale entropy was also higher in fetuses than in prematurely born neonates. These results suggest that the autonomic balance is poorer among neonates born prematurely than in fetuses of identical post-menstrual age.