Abdominal fetal ECG measured with differential ECG sensor

Abstract

Abdominal ECG is a non-invasive method for monitoring the cardiac activity of a fetus. A complementary method is the detection of the fetal heart rate with an ultrasound. In this paper, we present and analyze abdominal ECG measurements obtained with a differential ECG body sensor. Abdominal ECG was measured in different months of pregnancy within two subjects: one caring a single fetus and another caring twins. The fetal ECG signal measured on the abdomen during pregnancy is superimposed to the mother's AECG and has a very small amplitude, which is smaller than the amplitude of the mother's ECG in that part of her body. The interference from the power grid is not present in the signal, which is crucial for further analysis. The recordings demonstrate the remarkable potential of the sensor for abdominal ECG measurements.