[Classification of subpartal fetal heart rate oscillations by tcpO2 measurement].

There is no uniform opinion on the clinical value of FHR variability. It is possible to study connections between FHR variability and fetal oxygen tension by means of tcpO2 measurement. 856 episodes from 64 tcpO2 CTGs with more than 2 300 single characteristics were used for analysis. 31% of the fetuses examined exhibited signs of intrauterine growth retardation. The frequency of variability revealed a statistically significant correlation with oxygen tension (p less than 0,001). In hypotrophic fetuses the amplitude of variability was significantly correlated with oxygen tension (p less than 0,001). Silent and narrowly undulatory oscillations reached the significantly lowest oxygen tension values of 11,8 mmHg (1,6 kPa) and 15,2 mmHg (2,03 kPa), respectively, as compared to 20,5 mmHg (2,73 kPa) and 24,2 mmHg (3,23 kPa) for undulatory and saltatory oscillations, respectively. The control group of eutrophic fetuses revealed an inversely proportional, statistically significant behaviour of the amplitude of variability and fetal oxygen tension (p less than 0,001). Classification by means of tcpO2 limits (less than or equal to 11 mmHg = hypoxemic and greater than or equal to 12 mmHg = non hypoxemic) confirmed the traditional classification of the amplitude of variability in fetal growth retardation.