No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Mathematical models can be used to study the complex cardiovascular and metabolic fetal responses during labor and assist with the interpretation of fetal heart rate (FHR) decelerations before the fetus is severely compromised. Our modeling approach was to include blood flow to the heart and brain and incorporate several key features, such as oxygen delivery to the brain, blood flow redistribution, blood pressure, chemo and baro‐receptor mechanisms, all of which affect FHR. Model simulations show a qualitatively good fit with published data (Frasch MG, 2009) on FHR values obtained from studies in near‐term fetal sheep, where mild, moderate and severe cord occlusions are induced. The model is used to examine a broad range of critical incidents, augmenting those observed experimentally. The model can then be used to explore in silico features of the FHR signal that are important in detecting fetal distress during cord occlusions of variable intensity, duration and frequency.