Fetal Heart Rate Estimation Using the WT-FD Method and Autocorrelation Tempogram
摘要
Monitoring fetal heart rate is crucial for the safety of both the fetus and the mother. However, the number of obstetricians is declining, especially in rural areas, raising concerns about future shortages. Therefore, a method that allows pregnant women to monitor fetal heart rate at home is needed. Currently, ultrasound-based methods are the standard for fetal heart rate estimation, but they require specialized knowledge, making them difficult for individuals to use. Auscultation is a noninvasive and relatively simple method, but it is easily affected by noise, such as maternal heart sounds and machine interference. This study proposes fetal heart rate estimation using an autocorrelation tempogram. The autocorrelation tempogram visualizes variations in beats per minute (BPM) over time, allowing the identification of dominant BPMs. Fetal heart rate can be estimated by creating graphs from the tempogram. The experimental results showed that the estimated heart rates closely matched those obtained from a Doppler device, suggesting the potential for practical applications with real fetal heart sounds.