Application of infrared monitoring for personalization of obstetric aid

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the possibility of infrared monitoring of dynamics of the local temperature in the fetal head skin at the final stage of physiological delivery in order to assess the degree of arterial blood and oxygen supply to the fetus brain. Materials and Methods. Infrared temperature monitoring of the fetus head surface was carried out at Maternity Hospital No.6 of the Republic Clinical and Diagnostic Center (Izhevsk, Russia) in 35 women at the final stage (sometimes called the stage of bearing-down or pushing, or transitional labor) of physiological delivery and immediately after childbirth. Infrared tomography was used to control the dynamics of the local fetal head surface temperature. The values obtained in the region of the cranial bone projection were compared with those in the region of the sagittal suture or fontanelles. Results. All fetuses which demonstrated high tolerance to apnea in their mothers during pregnancy have been found to maintain high tolerance to the factors of physiological delivery as well. At the final stage of delivery, the temperature in the skin over the cranial bones, in the region of the anterior fontanelle, and the sagittal suture in these fetuses was relatively stable and did not have any significant differences. All fetuses were born healthy and did not show symptoms of encephalopathy during the first postpartum week. The fetuses which demonstrated low tolerance to apnea period in their mothers during gestation displayed low tolerance to the factors of physiological delivery as well. At the bearing-down stage with weak contractions, the local temperature in the skin over the cranial bones in these fetuses was relatively stable whereas in some fetuses it decreased periodically over the anterior fontanelle and sagittal suture. It has been established that immediate artificial induction of contraction providing the transition of the fetus along the birth canal by several centimeters or immediate hyperventilation of maternal lungs with the breathing gas till a slight dizziness increased the temperature of the fetus skin over the sagittal suture and anterior fontanelle. During the first postpartum week, symptoms of cerebral ischemia grade I and II appeared in 100% of neonates of this group. Conclusion. Infrared local temperature monitoring of the fetus head surface at the final stage of delivery and in the first minutes after birth allows for the assessment of blood and oxygen supply to the fetus brain, timely detection of hypoxia symptoms, correction of obstetric aid and its efficiency.