Developmental change in fetal response to repeated low-intensity sound

Seiichi Morokuma, Valentina Doria, Antonio Ierullo, Naoko Kinukawa, Kotaro Fukushima, Hitoo Nakano, Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, Aris T. Papageorghiou

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate developmental changes in heart rate response to repeated low-intensity (85 dB) sound stimulation in fetuses between 32 and 37 weeks of gestation. We measured amplitude changes in heart rate as our index of fetal response. At 35 to 37 weeks of gestation, the majority of fetuses showed a deceleratory response at the first trial. Amplitude decreased with further trials using the same stimulus before recovering when exposed to another type of stimulation. In contrast, responses in fetuses at 32 to 34 weeks of gestation were variable across trials and there was no recovery with exposure to another type of stimulation. Our results suggest that fetal habituation of cardiac response changes with developmental age.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)47-52
Number of pages6
JournalDevelopmental Science
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2008

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

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