Novel Phonography-Based Measurement for Fetal Breathing Movement in the Third Trimester

Abstract

The detailed assessment of fetal breathing movement (FBM) monitoring can be a pre-indicator of many critical cases in the third trimester of pregnancy. Standard 3D ultrasound monitoring is time-consuming for FBM detection. Therefore, this type of measurement is not common. The main goal of this research is to provide a comprehensive image about FBMs, which can also have potential for application in telemedicine. Fifty pregnancies were examined by phonography, and nearly 9000 FBMs were identified. In the case of male and female fetuses, 4740 and 3100 FBM episodes were detected, respectively. The measurements proved that FBMs are well detectable in the 20–30 Hz frequency band. For these episodes, an average duration of 1.008 ± 0.13 s (p < 0.03) was measured in the third trimester. The recorded material lasted for 16 h altogether. Based on these measurements, an accurate assessment of FBMs could be performed. The epochs can be divided into smaller-episode groups separated by shorter breaks. During the pregnancy, the rate of these breaks continuously decreases, and episode groups become more contiguous. However, there are significant differences between male and female fetuses. The proportion of the episodes which were classified into minimally 10-member episode groups was 19.7% for males and only 12.1% for females, even at the end of the third trimester. In terms of FBM detection, phonography offers a novel opportunity for long-term monitoring. Combined with cardiac diagnostic methods, it can be used for fetal activity assessment in the third trimester and make measurement appreciably easier than before.