Characteristics of glucose-stimulated breathing movements in human fetuses with intrauterine growth retardation.

ABSTRACT

The characteristics of fetal breathing movements were analyzed in 13 fetuses who were intrauterine growth retarded and in a comparison group of 13 well-grown fetuses. The numbers of minutes of breathing activity per hour were similar for the two groups; the increase (p less than 0.05) after maternally administered glucose was due to longer (p less than 0.05) and more frequent (p less than 0.05) breathing episodes, and was mainly deep breathing. The deep breathing rate increased significantly (p less than 0.05) after glucose. The two groups exhibited similar low occurrences of shallow breathing (less than 5 minutes per hour) throughout the experiments. No significant differences could be demonstrated between intrauterine growth-retarded and well-grown fetuses with respect to the amount, rate, and pattern of breathing activity during fasting or after oral administration of glucose to the mother.