A new technology emerging from the University of Nottingham in a study, is helping scientists to develop the first comprehensive model of a fully functioning fetal heart.
The abdominal fetal ECG device, designed originally by academics in the University's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and on commercial sale throughout the world since 2008 through the University's spin-out company Monica Healthcare Ltd, has been used to observe living fetal hearts of babies in their mothers' wombs.
Congenital Heart Disease
Heart diseases that are present at birth are called " Congenital heart diseases".
Advertisement
The collaborative study led by experts at The University of Leeds discovered that the walls of the human heart are a disorganised jumble of tissue until relatively late in pregnancy - with development much slower compared to other mammals.
Professor Barrie Hayes-Gill, Professor of Electronic Systems and Medical Devices at The University of Nottingham and joint founder and research director at Monica Healthcare said: "It's absolutely fantastic to see our device being used to detect fetal ECG morphology (i.e. ECG shape) in a non-invasive manner from the surface of the maternal abdomen."
![Aortic Valve Stenosis]( "Aortic Valve Stenosis")
Aortic valve Stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of the c valve. Symptoms include angina, and that of heart failure. Aortic valve replacement is effective therapy.
"In this study the Monica device has been specifically deployed to observe the development of the fetal heart as it goes through gestation," he said.
The fetal heart monitor is a portable, non-invasive device which attaches to the mother's abdomen and measures the electrical activity from the heart of the baby inside her womb.
The device uses complex algorithms to correctly identify signals related to the fetal heart rate (FHR) using sensitive ECG-style electrodes. This method of using electrophysiological signals differs from current external monitoring devices that collect FHR and uterine activity data based on physical changes that may cause problems in data interpretation.
The monitor is simple to use, beltless, requires no wires to connect to the display or printer. There is also no need for the constant re-positioning of transducers, which is required with older technology and the mother is free to walk around if necessary.
As part of their study, the team from the University of Leeds used the device to administer a weekly fetal ECG recording from 18 weeks until just before delivery.
The data from this, alongside two different MRI scans from the hearts of dead fetuses, was incorporated into a 3D computerised model built up using information about the structure, shape and size of the different components of the heart.
Early results suggest that the human heart may develop on a different timeline from other mammals. While the tissue in the walls of a pig heart develops a highly organised structure at a relatively early stage of a fetus' development, their work suggests there is little organisation in the human heart's cells until 20 weeks into pregnancy.
The study has been published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface Focus.
Source: ANI
Aortic Valve Stenosis
Aortic valve Stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of the c valve. Symptoms include angina, and that of heart failure. Aortic valve replacement is effective therapy.
Advertisement
"In this study the Monica device has been specifically deployed to observe the development of the fetal heart as it goes through gestation," he said.
The fetal heart monitor is a portable, non-invasive device which attaches to the mother's abdomen and measures the electrical activity from the heart of the baby inside her womb.
The device uses complex algorithms to correctly identify signals related to the fetal heart rate (FHR) using sensitive ECG-style electrodes. This method of using electrophysiological signals differs from current external monitoring devices that collect FHR and uterine activity data based on physical changes that may cause problems in data interpretation.
The monitor is simple to use, beltless, requires no wires to connect to the display or printer. There is also no need for the constant re-positioning of transducers, which is required with older technology and the mother is free to walk around if necessary.
As part of their study, the team from the University of Leeds used the device to administer a weekly fetal ECG recording from 18 weeks until just before delivery.
The data from this, alongside two different MRI scans from the hearts of dead fetuses, was incorporated into a 3D computerised model built up using information about the structure, shape and size of the different components of the heart.
Early results suggest that the human heart may develop on a different timeline from other mammals. While the tissue in the walls of a pig heart develops a highly organised structure at a relatively early stage of a fetus' development, their work suggests there is little organisation in the human heart's cells until 20 weeks into pregnancy.
The study has been published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface Focus.
Source: ANI
Diet, Lifestyle and Heart Disease
The correlation between diet, lifestyle and heart disease. The importance of balanced diet life style and exercise for controlling heart disease.
Advertisement
 Olive Oil and Its BenefitsThe anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties are responsible for the health benefits of olive oil. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Heart Disease News
Daily stair climbing particularly lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease in individuals with lower susceptibility.
The research adds to the ongoing discussion concerning the health consequences of cannabis use disorder and its possible associations with heart disease
Dietary choices and a sedentary lifestyle are major factors in the rise of heart attacks among school-aged children.
In the past two years, the Bangalore PCAD registry reported over 2,500 heart attack cases in individuals under 40, with 1,250 of them under 35.
World Heart Day 2023: Many women face difficulties when it comes to accessing healthcare services, including cardiovascular screening, preventive care, and treatment.
