Abstract
Two forms of motor responses (MR) were identified in the fetus: jerky and prolonged motor activity. At the end of full-term pregnancy, periodic vagal bradycardia developed immediately before and after the MR. During MR the heart rate is increased, on account of increased activity of the sympathetic centers of the heart. During labor MR developed during the pains when the volume of blood in the uterus is reduced. MR during pains and the associated increased fetal heart rate gave rise to smaller changes in the blood volume in the uterus. Performance of MR is considered to be aimed at compensating the fetal hypoxemia which arises periodically at the end of pregnancy and, in particular during pains.
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Praznikov, V.P., Pilipenko, N.V. Motor responses and cardiac activity of the fetus at the end of full-term pregnancy and during labor. Bull Exp Biol Med 81, 16–18 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00800153
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00800153