Non-invasive recordings of fetal electrocardiogram during pregnancy using electric potential sensors

Abstract

In this letter, we report the early detection of fetal cardiac electrical activity recorded from the maternal abdomen non-invasively. We developed a portable and non-invasive, prototype based on electric potential sensing technology to monitor both: the mother and fetal heart activity during pregnancy. In this proof of principle demonstration, we show the suitability of our technology to monitor the fetal heart development starting at week twenty, when the fetus heart is approximately one-tenth the size of an adult's heart. The study was conducted for ten weeks to demonstrate how the maturation of the fetus leads to a change on the heart rate dynamics as it approaches birth. Importantly, electrocardiogram information is presented without any post processing given that our device eliminates the requirement of signal conditioning algorithms such as having to un-mix both, the maternal and fetal cardiac waveforms. The provided ECG trace allows extracting the heart rate and other heart activity parameters useful for further diagnostics. Finally, our device does not require any gels to be applied so movement induced potential is eliminated. This technology has the potential to be used for determining possible heart related congenital disorders during pregnancy.