Fetal Heart Flux

Reports on the use of a small heat flux transducer to monitor foetal well-being during labour and childbirth. After discussing the basic physical principles which govern heat exchange and their confirmation under experimental conditions in an animal model, the book relates clinical research.

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This study reports on a novel technique using a small heat flux transducer to monitor foetal well-being during labour and childbirth. After discussing the basic physical principles which govern heat exchange and their confirmation under experimental condition in an animal model, the book relates extensive clinical research. Heat flux is measured in normal births, breech presentation, hydrocephaly, placental insufficiency and foetal death. These results are correlated with maternal body temperature, scalp perfusion, the effects of contractions, blood pH, lactic acid concentrations, catecholamine levels and blood flow in the uterine and foetal vessels. Using a computer-assisted simulation of foetal heat exchange, a model of the foetal thermodynamics during delivery is proposed and tested for the prediction of intrapartum acidosis in a clinical trial in comparison of foetal scalp and foetal heart rate monitoring. The results lead Dr Rudelstorfer to suggest that this method could find wide acceptance beside established techniques of foetal monitoring.