Maturation of the human fetal startle response: evidence for sex-specific maturation of the human fetus.

Despite the evidence for early fetal experience exerting programming influences on later neurological development and health risk, very few prospective studies of human fetal behavior have been reported. In a prospective longitudinal study, fetal nervous system maturation was serially assessed by monitoring fetal heart rate (FHR) responses to vibroacoustic stimulation (VAS) in 191 maternal/fetal dyads. Responses were not detected at 26 weeks gestational age (GA).

Low levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone during early pregnancy are associated with precocious maturation of the human fetus.

Elevation in placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH) during the last trimester of pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk for preterm delivery. Less is known about the consequences for the human fetus exposed to high levels of pCRH early in pregnancy. pCRH levels were measured in 138 pregnant women at least once at 15, 20 and 25 weeks of gestation.

Fetal pulse oximetry: correlation between oxygen desaturation, duration, and frequency and neonatal outcomes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the threshold of fetal arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation that predicts neonatal acidosis and adverse outcomes.

Study Design: Fetal oxygen saturation data from a published randomized controlled trial of fetal pulse oximetry were evaluated in relation to the number and duration of low fetal oxygen saturation episodes and neonatal outcomes. Fetal oxygen saturation episodes (epochs) of at least 10-second duration were categorized into the following groups: (1).