Authors: Kazuo Maeda, MD, PhD.
Aims: To automatically diagnose intrapartum fetal heart rate with the purpose to prevent cerebral palsy.
Methods: Initial system was composed of a minicomputer with paper tape punher/reader and Teletype keyboard, where it diagnosed baseline heart rate and deceleration patterns. Next system was a micro computerized one. Then a centralized one with 50 channel times sharing, composed of FHR score, which predicted Apgar score and UApH. Artificial neural network assesses fetal outcome and frequency spectrum detects ominous sinusoidal heart rate. Novel hypoxia index is the sum of heart rate deceleration durations divided by the lowest heart rate and multiplied by 100.
Results: Perinatal mortality reduced by the central computer. As hypoxia index is 25 or more, if the variability is lost and followed by cerebral palsy, while the fetus is safe not only preventing fetal death, but also preventing cerebral palsy, if the index is 24 or less.
Future: A new computer is planned to recluce asphyxiated neonate and reduces the acidosis by FHR score, to analyze frequency spectrum, and the hypoxia index will prevent infantile cerebral palsy, which will be directly reported doctor.
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