OBJECTIVE: Changes in the maternal cardiac autonomic nervous system were assessed in the presence and absence of uterine contractions by analyzing maternal heart-rate variability during labor using wavelet-based power spectral analysis. METHODS: We assessed the heart-rate variability in 20 pregnant women during labor and in 15 pregnant women with threatened premature labor with the use of wavelet-based power spectral analysis. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in high-frequency components between the uterine contraction and non-contraction periods. The intensities of the low-frequency and very-low-frequency components during uterine contractions were significantly stronger than the corresponding intensities between uterine contractions. CONCLUSION: Maternal sympathetic activity was upregulated during uterine contractions, and influenced the very-low-frequency components. This method of analysis may represent a novel means of identifying uterine contractions.
OBJECTIVE: Changes in the maternal cardiac autonomic nervous system were assessed in the presence and absence of uterine contractions by analyzing maternal heart-rate variability during labor using wavelet-based power spectral analysis. METHODS: We assessed the heart-rate variability in 20 pregnant women during labor and in 15 pregnant women with threatened premature labor with the use of wavelet-based power spectral analysis. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in high-frequency components between the uterine contraction and non-contraction periods. The intensities of the low-frequency and very-low-frequency components during uterine contractions were significantly stronger than the corresponding intensities between uterine contractions. CONCLUSION: Maternal sympathetic activity was upregulated during uterine contractions, and influenced the very-low-frequency components. This method of analysis may represent a novel means of identifying uterine contractions.
Authors: Ahmad I Al-Shafei; Shaza M Musa; Duria A Rayis; Mohamed F Lutfi; Ola A El-Gendy; Ishag Adam Journal: J Clin Lab Anal Date: 2020-02-24 Impact factor: 2.352