Recording of foetal movements: a comparison of three methods

Abstract

As decreased foetal movement (FM) may indicate impaired foetal health, FM recording has been suggested as a method of assessing foetal well-being. A non-intrusive, automated method of recording FM (FM-detector), was compared with maternal and ultrasonographic assessment ofFMs in 24 women in the third trimester of pregnancy. The FM-detector detected a greater proportion of ultrasonographically recorded FMs than the mothers did (median 70% and38%, respectively; p<0-001). Parity, gestational age, placental site or thickness, maternal weight or the distance from the maternal abdominal surface to the amniotic cavity did not affect the ability of the FM-detector to detect ultrasonographically recorded FMs. The estimation of FM strength by the FM-detector agreed fairly well with the assessment of FM strength by the ultrasound observer. The FM-detector would seem suitable for clinical use, as in the examination of pregnant women complaining of feeling ‘less FM’.