Computerized analysis of fetal heart rate in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Objective. We evaluated the value of computerized cardiotocography (cCTG) in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Purpose of study. We studied fetal heart rate (FHR) recordings from 100 pregnant women affected by GDM on diet therapy, 60 pregnant women affected by GDM on insulin therapy and 100 normal pregnant controls. The results were compared among the groups and related to neonatal umbilical artery cord blood analysis at birth.

Research design and methods. Baseline FHR and the duration of episodes of low variation were significantly higher in diabetic than in controls and were negatively related to umbilical artery glycemia at birth, whereas the short-term variation in diabetics was significantly lower than in controls and was positively related to.

Conclusions. Our study demonstrates that GDM does impact FHR. The alteration is slight but evident; it reflects fetal well being and correlate with neonatal reactivity. Only cCTG may allow to detect those slight but significant differences.

Keywords:

• Fetal heart rate
• gestational diabetes mellitus
• computerized analysis of FHR

Acknowledgements

This article was presented as a poster at the 27th Annual Meeting of the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, San Francisco, CA, during February 5–10, 2007.