Assessment of fetal breathing movements using three different ultrasound modalities

Abstract
Twenty‐five consecutive women in the third trimester of pregnancy were studied to determine the presence or absence of fetal breathing movements using three different ultrasound imaging techniques. Using real‐time B‐mode observation of the fetal trunk as the standard, image‐directed pulsed wave Doppler insonation of the umbilical vein confirmed the presence of breathing movements with a sensitivity of 100% and the absence of breathing movements with a specificity of 100%. The sensitivity and specificity of color Doppler imaging of the fetal naso‐and oropharynx for the presence or absence of fetal breathing movements were 96% and 100%, respectively. In the current study, the detection of fetal breathing movements by three different ultrasound modalities was virtually interchangeable. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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