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Fetal Habituation

Part of: Bespoke shallow archive Weizmann

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 January 2010

Peter G Hepper  and
Leo R Leader
Peter G Hepper*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom.
Leo R Leader
Affiliation:
School of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of New South Wales, Frank Rundle House, Royal Hospital for Women, Paddington, Sydney NSW 2021, Australia.
*
Peter G Hepper, School of Psychology, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom.
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Extract

One aim of obstetric practice is to ensure the wellbeing of the fetus. This is by no means an easy task and recent years have seen the development of a variety of tests, with varying degrees of success, to evaluate fetal health.

Fetal wellbeing may be assessed at a variety of levels: genetic/cellular, physical/structural or functional. Ideally the evaluation of fetal health should provide information about the functional outcome of any particular condition, especially the performance of the central nervous system. Current tests may not do this. Thus, whilst tests of the fetal chromosomal or genetic constitution may determine the presence of particular genetic/chromosomal conditions, they may not predict functional outcome especially the functioning of the cerebral cortices, the ultimate arbiter of excellence in man. For example, Down's syndrome may be accurately diagnosed by analysis of fetal cells to detect the presence of Trisomy 21 but this in itself provides little information on the subsequent functional performance of the individual. The development of tests of fetal heart function such as antenatal cardiotocography have provided a means of assessing cardiac function and, to a certain extent, the functioning of parts of the autonomic nervous system. However such tests can only indirectly assess cortical function.

Type
Research Article
Information
Fetal and Maternal Medicine Review , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , May 1996 , pp. 109 - 123
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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