Steroids that induce lung maturation acutely affect higher cortical function: a fetal magnetoencephalography study.

Objective: To investigate whether steroids that induce lung maturation have acute effects on higher cortical function in the human fetus.

Methods: Cortical auditory-evoked responses (CAERs) were recorded from 10 singleton fetuses between 29 and 34 gestational weeks by fetal magnetoencephalography (fMEG) using transabdominal auditory stimulation prior to and within 3 hours after administering 2 × 12 mg of betamethasone, at an interval of 18 and 24 hours.

Results: The components of the CAER complex were categorized according to their latency: P2pm (186 + 20 ms, 90%), N2pm (260 + 34 ms, 50%), P3pm (474 + 36, 50%).

Influence of intrauterine growth restriction on cardiac time intervals evaluated by fetal magnetocardiography.

Objective: Differences in the cardiac excitation cycle between normotrophic and intrauterine growth-restricted fetuses were to be investigated by fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG).

Study Design: In this study, the time intervals of the fMCG signal in dependence on gestational age were compared between a group of 30 growth-restricted fetuses and 60 normotrophic fetuses by using Spearman's correlation coefficient and two-way analyses of variance.

Results: A significantly increasing duration of the P wave and the QRS complex could be observed with advancing gestational age in the normotrophic collective.

Maternal and fetal side effects of tocolysis using transdermal nitroglycerin or intravenous fenoterol combined with magnesium sulfate.

Objective: To compare the maternal and fetal side effects of transdermal nitroglycerin and intravenous fenoterol combined with magnesium sulfate in a prospective randomised study.

Study Design: Fifty pregnant women between 27 and 35 weeks of gestation with preterm labour were treated with either nitroglycerin (0.4-0.

Fetal magnetocardiography: development of the fetal cardiac time intervals.

Objectives: To analyse the physiologic development of fetal cardiac time intervals throughout gestation using fetal magnetocardiography (FMCG).

Methods: FMCG data of 163 uncomplicated pregnancies (19th and 42nd gestational week) were analysed. Mean value, standard deviation, minimum and maximum of the duration of the P-wave, the QRS-complex, the PR and the QT-interval were plotted against gestational age.