Auditory evoked responses: A tool to assess the fetal neurological activity

An intact auditory system at birth is requisite for the successful accomplishment of many developmental skills. Evoked responses to auditory Stimuli have been used as a sensitive test to determine the functional status of the adult and neonatal brain. It has been established that fetuses can hear in utero and respond to external acoustic stimuli. We present an overview of the transmission of sound through the maternal abdomen to the fetal ear and the recordings of an auditory evoked response obtained from the fetus using a non-invasive magnetoencephalography technique. The investigation of cortical activity of the fetus in response to auditory stimulation can help understand and track the neurological development of the fetus. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.