Comprehensive assessment of uterine contractility using a large database of dynamic T2* studies

Motivation: Uterine contractile activity, crucial for vaginal birth, begins early in gestation. However, its assessment remains limited. T2* relaxometry has been used to detect placental T2* changes during contractions. Goal(s): Developing an automatic detection system for contractile activity in dynamic T2* uterine scans and explore variations based on gestational age, Body-mass-index (BMI), maternal position, and scan time. Approach: 470 dynamic fetal MRI scans have been assessed, a threshold established and analyzed. Results: Contractile activity was observed in 22% of scans, with no correlation to BMI, position, or scan length, but correlation to gestational age. Deviations in means emphasize the need for dynamic T2* capture. Impact: Uterine contractility assessed during dynamic uterine T2* scans allows novel insights into this phenomenon and paves the way for real-time detection in the future.