Ultrasound and fetal stress: study of the fetal blink-startle reflex evoked by acoustic stimuli

The development of ultrasound techniques opened a window on the prenatal world. Since the early 1990s, bidimensional ultrasonography has played an important role in the study of certain fetal behaviours in attempts to understand fetal well-being. Certain fetal attitudes can be likened to those subsequently seen in newborns [1]. Study of fetal circulation by Doppler ultrasonography in parts of the fetal body such as the middle cerebral arteries has also clearly shown that certain pathophysiological and pathological conditions cause a redistribution of normal fetal circulation, indicating a change in fetal status. © Springer 2008