Am J Perinatol 1985; 2(4): 292-294
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-999973
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

© 1985 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

Effect of Maternal Intravenous Glucose Administration on Fetal Heart Rate Patterns and Fetal Breathing

Michael Y. Divon1 , Eitan Z. Zimmer2 , Sze-Ya Yeh1 , Alex Vilenski3 , Zeev Sarna3 , Eitan Paldi2 , Lawrence D. Platt1
  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, and Women's Hospital, Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center
  • 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology “B”, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
  • 3Department of Bio-Medical Engineering, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
04 March 2008 (online)

ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of maternal intravenous (IV) administration of glucose on fetal breathing and its associated fetal heart patterns. Sixteen healthy women at term gestation participated in the study. The outcome of each of the pregnancies was normal. Fetal breathing and fetal electrocardiograms were simultaneously recorded by real time sonography and a fetal monitor respectively, and then digitized into a microcomputer. These women were studied for a 25-minute control period, given 50 gm of glucose IV and then, 20 minutes later, restudied for an additional 25-minute period. The results indicate that fetal breathing movements lasted for 24.8 ± 6.2 percent of the time during the control period (mean ± SEM) and were increased to 63.2 ±11.5 percent following the injection of glucose (P < 0.01). Fetal heart rate decreased during fetal breathing by 2.3 and 2.1 beats per minute, before and after glucose administration, respectively (NS). Fetal breathing was associated with increased beat-to-beat variability by 1.32 ± 0.5 and 1.27 ± 0.3, before and after glucose administration, respectively (NS). This study confirms previous reports that the amount of time the fetus spends making breathing movements is significantly increased following maternal glucose administration, and demonstrates that the injection of glucose does not alter the modulation of fetal heart rate and beat-to-beat variability by fetal breathing.

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