Processing of abdominal lead ECG and EMG in perinatal monitoring

Abstract

A new method of continuous monitoring both fetal heart rate and uterine activity during pregnancy and birth is described in the paper. Electrodes, placed on the maternal abdomen are used to obtain signals from the uterus as well as from fetal and maternal cardiac activity. By means of averaging and correlation techniques the components of the registrated signal are separated. The fetal electrocardiogram is used to compute the heart rate whereas the electromyogram is processed so as to result in the uterine activity curve. Besides a substantial improvement in the reliability of fetal heart rate monitoring, it is for the first time, that uterine activity could be registrated other than by mechanical means and without any additional signal transducers.