Z Geburtshilfe Neonatol 2011; 215 - PO05_06
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1293355

Change of spectral analysis of fetal heart rate during clinical hypnosis – A prospective randomised trial from 20th gestation till term

J Reinhard 1, BR Hayes-Gill 2, S Schiermeier 3, W Hatzmann 3, H Hüsken-Janßen 4, F Louwen 1
  • 1Klinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitätsklinikum, Frankfurt, Deutschland
  • 2Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Nottingham, England
  • 3Marien-Hospital Witten, Lehrkrankenhaus der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Witten
  • 4DGH (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hypnose und Hypnotherapie) Fort- und Weiterbildungszentrum Coesfeld, Coesfeld

Objective: To investigate the functional adaptive process of the fetal autonomic system during hypnosis from 20th week gestation till term. Are there changes in the power spectrum analysis of fetal heart rate when the mother is having a clinical hypnosis or control period?

Study design: Fourty-nine FHR recordings, collected from November 2009 until March 2010 at the Marien-Hospital Witten, Germany, were analysed. Included recordings were from singletons and abdominal fetal ECG monitored pregnancies. All women were randomised to receive clinical hypnosis followed by a period with no intervention or vice versa. Statistical analyses were performed with the Wilcoxon signed ranks and Spearman rho correlation tests.

Results: There was a statistical significant difference found between fetal heart rate at baseline (144.3±6.0 bpm) and hypnosis (142.1±6.4 bpm). A difference was also detected between the standard deviation of the heart rate between baseline (6.7±1.9 bpm) and hypnosis (6.8±3.5 bpm). LFnu was smaller during baseline (80.2±5.3 nu) than during hypnosis (82.1±5.7 nu), whereas HFnu was significantly larger (19.8±5.3 nu vs. 17.9±5.7nu). There was no correlation between gestation age and the change in LFnu, HFnu or ratio LF / HF due to the hypnosis intervention.

Conclusion: The functional adaptive process of the fetal autonomic system during hypnosis is reflected by a sympathovagal shift towards increased sympathetic modulation.