Spectral power differences in the brain activity of growth-restricted and normal fetuses

Using non-invasive fetal magnetoencephalography (fMEG), we investigated spontaneous brain activity in 28 fetuses diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and compared the results to 47 normal-growth fetuses. The fetal gestational age ranged from 28 to 39 weeks with post-natal recordings obtained on 17 of the IUGR fetuses. Power spectrum was computed and was divided into four frequency bands. A significant difference in the relative spectral power in delta, theta and beta bands (P < 0.01) was observed only in the 28-32 week gestation age group with alpha band showing a similar trend (P = 0.054). This observation suggests that growth restriction may have a more pronounced effect on the fetal brain in early gestation. Larger population studies could reveal the potential value of fMEG as an additional surveillance tool for growth-restricted fetuses.