Fetal Responses to Vibrotactile Stimulation, A Possible Predictor of Fetal and Neonatal Outcome

Summary: This study measured the antenatal fetal heart rate changes in response to a single vibrotactile stimulus. In a group of 11 normal patients, this resulted in a significant change in the fetal heart rate (P < 0.001). Sixty‐eight high risk patients were also tested. In the group of 25 patients whose fetuses showed no response to the stimulus, there were 4 stillbirths and 4 neonatal deaths; 23 of these 25 infants were small for gestational age (SGA) compared to only 15 of the 43 that showed a response to the stimulus.

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