Computerized analysis of cardiotocograms and fetal movements.

Important biological signals from the fetus, including fetal heart rate and fetal movement, were obtained electronically by recent medical engineering techniques and processed (usually) via analogue-to-digital converter followed by analysis on a personal computer. The knowledge of obstetrical experts was analysed and used in computer processing. Fetal heart rate changes were initially studied by the use of a minicomputer, programmed to provide automatic quantification of the signal and diagnosis of fetal distress. The program was memorized by programmable read only memory (PROM) and used in a clinical system. The results obtained by the system were used in many obstetrical research studies, and automatic diagnosis was used in clinical practice. An ultrasonic Doppler fetal actocardiograph was also created. The amplitude and interval of the electrical deflections produced by fetal movement were analysed. Fetal behavioural states were automatically recognized in this way. Cross-correlational analysis of fetal heart rate and fetal movement showed a close relationship between the two phenomena.