Extended noninvasive fetal monitoring by detailed analysis of data measured with phonocardiography.

Abstract

This paper presents a complex heuristic method for the evaluation of fetal heart sounds, applying simultaneously several algorithms, where the autocorrelation technique has been completed with the wavelet transform and the matching pursuit methods. In this way, a more reliable heart rate variability can be achieved and further parameters of the cardiac operation can be assessed in addition to the conventional cardiotocographic examination. This also comprises those parameters, which can be investigated only with long-term or continuous monitoring, and those, which rely on a very accurate estimation of the heart rate variability. The proposed method provides a way for assessing fetal heart murmurs, which is a completely new possibility for monitoring the well-being of the fetus.