Longitudinal assessment of behavioural transitions in healthy human fetuses during the third trimester of pregnancy.

A longitudinal study was performed on 35 healthy fetuses in order to evaluate the developmental course of behavioural transitions during the last trimester of pregnancy. A progressive decrease in the duration of transitions as a function of gestational age was evidenced for both transitions from 1F to 2F and transitions from 2F to 1F. Concerning the sequence in change of behavioural variables (fetal heart rate, fetal eye movements and fetal gross body movements) a random distribution was found until 30 weeks for 1F to 2F transitions and until 34 weeks for 2F-1F transitions. After these gestational ages fetal heart rate and fetal gross body movements respectively become the first variable to change during 1F-2F and 2F-1F transitions. Reference values for these parameters are calculated in order to provide a basis for the diagnosis of behavioural abnormalities in high risk fetuses.