Antepartum fetal heart rate monitoring. A semi-quantitative evaluation of the 'non-stressed' fetal heart rate

Sinusoidal fetal heart rate

Two cases with sinusoidal fetal heart rates (SHR) with good perinatal outcome are reported. Since nonstress tests, oxytocin challenge tests and serum free estriols were normal, SHR was considered not indicative of fetal compromise. A SHR can occasionally be found in connection with reactive nonstress test. In those cases it may be of minor importance when compared to the situations when the tracing also shows a nonreactive nonstress test and the perinatal outcome is often poor.

Sinusoidal fetal heart rate pattern in severe fetal anemia from feto-maternal transfusion

A case is reported where a sinusoidal fetal heart rate pattern was found in a fetus at 34 weeks. This pattern, at first isolated and later persistent for several hours, during a normal pregnancy became progressively transformed into a silent pattern. Cesarean delivery then performed resulted in the birth of an infant affected by a severe anemia due to a major feto-maternal transfusion and it died aged 36 h. The authors enquire into the significance of this pattern when found in apparently normal pregnancies, not involving rhesus iso-immunization, and they suggest a possible management when confronted with a sinusoidal fetal heart pattern.