The Safe Fetus Project

描述（由申请人提供）：安全胎儿项目：本研究的长期目标是确定生理特征-包括特定的胎儿心电图波形和胎儿心率变异性模式-预测妊娠和分娩期间感染相关的神经损伤。本应用程序的目的是开发和评估计算技术，以分析原始和处理过的胎儿心脏信号的有意义的模式，并将这些发现与感染相关神经损伤的临床、组织病理学和血清标志物相关联。指导本研究的中心假设是，在不可修复的白质损伤发生之前，感染在脑干和心肌水平上改变了心脏电生理。追求这一研究路径的基本原理是，早期识别胎儿心脏信号的前哨异常将有助于未来预防感染相关神经损伤的策略的发展。具体目的1：发展先进的定量方法，分析妊娠和分娩期间胎儿心电图的形态学特征，以预测宫内感染和炎症的发展。具体目标2：发展先进的定量方法来分析妊娠和分娩期间的心率变异性，以预测宫内感染和炎症的发展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Safe Fetus Project: The long-range goal for this research is to identify physiologic characteristics - including specific fetal ECG waveforms and patterns of fetal heart-rate variability - that predict infection-related neurologic injury during pregnancy and labor. The objectives of this application are to develop and evaluate the computational techniques to analyze the raw and processed fetal cardiac signal for meaningful patterns, and correlate these findings with clinical, histopathologic, and serum markers of infection-related neurologic injury. The central hypothesis that guides this research is that infection alters cardiac electrophysiology at the level of the brainstem and the myocardium before irreparable white-matter injury has occurred. The rationale for pursuing this research path is that early identification of sentinel abnormalities of the fetal cardiac signal will facilitate the development of strategies to prevent infection-related neurologic injury in the future. Specific aims: Specific aim 1: To develop advanced quantitative methods for analyzing morphologic features of the fetal electrocardiogram during pregnancy and labor in order to predict the development of intrauterine infection and inflammation. Specific aim 2: To develop advanced quantitative methods for analyzing heart-rate variability during pregnancy and labor in order to predict the development of intrauterine infection and inflammation. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Existing technology used to monitor pregnant women is unreliable and inaccurate. Our goal is to develop technology that makes pregnancy and labor safer, by identifying changes in the fetal electrocardiogram or heart rate that predict injury to the fetus or newborn.