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Fetal body movements and breathing movements were recorded with a real time ultrasound scanner in 26 fetuses. There were two recording periods of 25 min each, before and half and hour after maternal IV administration of 50 gr glucose. Six fetuses were at 280 days of gestation (Group A), twelve fetuses were at 294 days of gestation (group B), eight fetuses at 294 days gestation were classified as stage I postmature (group C). The incidence of fetal body movements was not significantly different in the three groups. Maternal glucose administration had no significant influence on fetal body movements in any group. On the other hand fetal breathing activity was significantly increased in all three groups after maternal glucose administration. Breathing activity was significantly greater in group A when compared to group C in both recording periods, and when compared to group B in the period which followed maternal glucose administration. It is concluded that fetal breathing activity is reduced in prolonged pregnancies.

In 52 cases of breech presentation, the biparietal diameter of the fetal head was measured before and after external version of the fetus. There was no significant statistical difference between these two measurements.

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 less than 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.

This study explores the relationship between fetal heart rate variability and fetal breathing movements in the term fetus. Fourier analysis was applied to fetal heart rate variability during fetal breathing and nonbreathing episodes. A distinct component in the order of 0.7 to 0.95 Hz was demonstrated in fetal heart rate variability during breathing episodes. These frequencies have the same distribution as the corresponding rate of breathing and therefore indicate that respiratory sinus arrhythmia exists in the term fetus.

A computerized quantification of fetal heart rate and beat-to-beat variability was performed during and between fetal breathing episodes. Sixteen healthy pregnant women at term participated in the study. The results indicate that fetal breathing is associated with a significant increase in beat-to-beat variability (from 4.48 +/- 1.66 between breathing episodes to 5.80 +/- 2.04 during breathing episodes, p less than 0.01) and a small but significant decrease in fetal heart rate (from 142.7 +/- 8.6 bpm between breathing episodes to 140.4 +/- 8.6 bpm during breathing episodes, p less than 0.05).