1. Fractal Analysis and Hurst Parameter for Intrapartum Fetal Heart Rate Variability Analysis: A Versatile Alternative to Frequency Bands and LF/HF Ratio
- Author
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Doret, Muriel, Spilka, Jiří, Chudáček, Václav, Gonçalves, Paulo, Abry, Patrice, Hôpital Femme Mère Enfant [CHU - HCL] (HFME), Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), Laboratoire de Physique de l'ENS Lyon (Phys-ENS), École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Dynamic Networks : Temporal and Structural Capture Approach (DANTE), Inria Grenoble - Rhône-Alpes, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Laboratoire de l'Informatique du Parallélisme (LIP), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Rhône-Alpin des systèmes complexes (IXXI), École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon)-Université Lumière - Lyon 2 (UL2)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 (UJML), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA Lyon), Université de Lyon-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Lumière - Lyon 2 (UL2)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 (UJML), Université de Lyon-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), École normale supérieure - Lyon (ENS Lyon)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon, École normale supérieure - Lyon (ENS Lyon)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École normale supérieure - Lyon (ENS Lyon)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), and École normale supérieure - Lyon (ENS Lyon)-Université Lumière - Lyon 2 (UL2)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 (UJML)
- Subjects
Asphyxia Neonatorum ,Labor, Obstetric ,health care facilities, manpower, and services ,Science ,education ,Infant, Newborn ,Heart Rate, Fetal ,Fetal Blood ,Fractals ,[INFO.INFO-TS]Computer Science [cs]/Signal and Image Processing ,Pregnancy ,Case-Control Studies ,embryonic structures ,Humans ,Medicine ,Female ,Acidosis ,Fetal Monitoring ,health care economics and organizations ,Research Article - Abstract
Background The fetal heart rate (FHR) is commonly monitored during labor to detect early fetal acidosis. FHR variability is traditionally investigated using Fourier transform, often with adult predefined frequency band powers and the corresponding LF/HF ratio. However, fetal conditions differ from adults and modify spectrum repartition along frequencies. Aims This study questions the arbitrariness definition and relevance of the frequency band splitting procedure, and thus of the calculation of the underlying LF/HF ratio, as efficient tools for characterizing intrapartum FHR variability. Study Design The last 30 minutes before delivery of the intrapartum FHR were analyzed. Subjects Case-control study. A total of 45 singletons divided into two groups based on umbilical cord arterial pH: the Index group with pH ≤ 7.05 (n = 15) and Control group with pH > 7.05 (n = 30). Outcome Measures Frequency band-based LF/HF ratio and Hurst parameter. Results This study shows that the intrapartum FHR is characterized by fractal temporal dynamics and promotes the Hurst parameter as a potential marker of fetal acidosis. This parameter preserves the intuition of a power frequency balance, while avoiding the frequency band splitting procedure and thus the arbitrary choice of a frequency separating bands. The study also shows that extending the frequency range covered by the adult-based bands to higher and lower frequencies permits the Hurst parameter to achieve better performance for identifying fetal acidosis. Conclusions The Hurst parameter provides a robust and versatile tool for quantifying FHR variability, yields better acidosis detection performance compared to the LF/HF ratio, and avoids arbitrariness in spectral band splitting and definitions.
- Published
- 2015