Prenatal observation of heart rate sequences presenting entropic analogies with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Preliminary report

Abstract

In the fetus, the hypoxic stimulation inhibits respiratory movements, while after the birth, it stimulates breathing. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) may result from a resurgence of the prenatal inhibiting circuit (Leiter, 2007). This study aims to compare the entropic evolutionary profile of the "Recurrent Elevated PatternA" (REPA) of fetal heart rate, to the one described in SIDS by Pincus during quiet sleep, the postnatal corresponding state of PatternA. Using an unselected 3000 fetal tracings database, a computer assisted visual analysis selected the 16 most typical REPA, compared to the 22 most stable PatternA (MSPA). The entropic study enabled to extract from each group a type of description corresponding to Pincus criteria: instable entropy with remarkable minima for REPA, and single centered regular entropy peak for MSPA. If confirmed, our findings may lead to a better evaluation of the fetal status and to a SIDS preventive protocol via a trans birth survey.