Investigation of fetal ECG signal using textile-based electrodes

Fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring is a technique that can be considered vital tool assisting midwife. This technique is useful in the early recognition of fetal heart defects, stillbirth and prevention of a risky conditions in clinics during pregnancy. The complications due to these threats are currently kept at bay by the extensive use of cardiotocography in clinics. However, cardiotocography suffers from drawbacks such as the need to replace transducer skillfully or the fact that the use of this method is only limited to mother to be staying in clinics. The aim of this article is to present the development of a belt composed of yarns containing different percentages of stainless-steel fibers as conductive yarns. The use of this belt in association with signal processing technique enables the real-time monitoring of FHR by the mother in absence of medical staff. Thus, not only preventing the occurrence of life threatening complexities but also significantly relieving the burden on the social welfare budget. It was concluded that a smart belt containing the highest percentage of stainless-steel fiber offers successful recording of fetal electrocardiogram.