[Fetal movement and heart acceleration behavior in eutrophic and hypotrophic fetuses in the 36th to 40th week of pregnancy].

By means of combined ultrasonic and cardiographic monitoring, the movement and acceleration behaviours of 44 eutrophic fetuses were compared to those of 19 fetuses with body weights between the 6th and 10th weight percentiles according to Kyank and to 21 fetuses with body weight not greater than the 5th weight percentile. The eutrophic fetuses moved more frequently and--related to 10 minutes examination time--over longer total periods than did the fetuses with intrauterine growth retardation. The longest mean duration of isolated fetal movement, however, was observed in the hypotrophic fetuses. With regard to fetal resting and activity stages, the highest percentage (10%) of fetal resting stages was found in the fetuses less than or equal to the 5th weight percentile. 93% of all accelerations in fetal heart rate obviously resulted from fetal movements, duration and amplitude of the accelerations depending on the duration of fetal movements. The degree of heart rate responses to fetal movements was different in the three groups examined. Standard weight fetuses responded most intensively. The percentage of fetal movements resulting in accelerations was highest (76%) in the group of the eutrophic fetuses as well. The mean duration of acceleration was most marked in the group of fetuses less than or equal to the 5th weight percentile (32.8 sec) and so was the mean acceleration amplitude in the normotrophic fetuses (19.7 bpm). Decelerations following accelerations in fetal heart rate did not differ in the three groups examined with regard to their number, amplitude and duration.