Effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on fetal and placental development in an experimental model of placental insufficiency.

Objective: To elucidate the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in pregnancies with placental insufficiency.

Methods: Pregnant rats were subjected to uterine artery ligation and to TENS according to the following groups: ligated stimulated (LS); ligated non-stimulated (LN), control stimulated (CS); and control non-stimulated (CN). Fetal external measurements, such as crown-rump length (CRL), fronto-occipital distance (FOD), thoracic ventral-dorsal (TVDD) and abdominal ventral-dorsal (AVDD) distances were analyzed together with the area occupied by fetal internal organs.