A comparative study of the fetal electrocardiogram recorded by the STAN and Nottingham systems

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Abstract
Objective To compare the T:QRS ratio recorded by the STAN and Nottingham fetal electrocardiogram (FECG) monitors.Design Prospective observational study.Setting London teaching hospital delivery suite and research unit.Methods and subjects The T:QRS ratios generated by the STAN and Nottingham FECG monitors were simultaneously recorded and compared using signals generated from a computer‐produced ECG signal and signals from 11 term fetuses recorded during labour.Results There was an acceptable level of agreement between the two systems with the computer‐generated signals, but it was not clinically acceptable with the signals from the fetuses recorded during labour. Disagreements in the T:QRS values were probably due to differences in the reference points for the measurement of the S‐T segment and T‐wave height.Conclusion The different points of reference for measurement of S‐T segment and T‐wave height can explain poor agreement between the two methods of FECG waveform analysis. The suggested adopted points of reference are those corresponding to adult electrocardiographic methodology.