Research Article

Scalogram-Based Binary Fetal Arrhythmia Classification Using ML and DL

Volume: 14 October 19, 2026
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Scalogram-Based Binary Fetal Arrhythmia Classification Using ML and DL

Abstract

Objectives: Fetal electrocardiography (FECG) is a valuable tool for assessing fetal health and identifying cardiac rhythm abnormalities. This study aimed to determine the convolutional neural network (CNN)-based deep learning (DL) model that provides the highest performance for binary classification of fetal arrhythmia and normal rhythm (ARR vs NR) in FECG signals. Methods: FECG signals were converted to time-frequency images using the Continuous Wave Transform (CWT), and these images were used as input to DL-based CNN architectures such as AlexNet, GoogleNet, and ResNet50. The effect of data length was investigated to achieve high accuracy with transfer learning. In addition, these DL models were compared with traditional machine learning methods. Results: Among the evaluated DL models, AlexNet achieved the highest performance on the 10-second segments. It outperformed the traditional machine learning approaches across all evaluated metrics. Among the conventional methods, the Trilayered Neural Network showed the best performance, with an accuracy of 87.50%. Conclusions: The findings suggest that scalogram-based CNN models have strong potential for classifying binary fetal arrhythmias from FECG signals. In particular, the AlexNet model showed promising performance under the experimental conditions of this study. However, the results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited dataset size, and further validation on larger, independent datasets is needed.

Keywords

References

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  6. [6] Rein, A. J. J. T., et al. (2002). Use of tissue velocity imaging in the diagnosis of fetal cardiac arrhythmias. Circulation, 106(14), 1827–1833.
  7. [7] Sonesson, S. E., & Acharya, G. (2016). Hemodynamics in fetal arrhythmia. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 95(6), 697–709.
  8. [8] Wacker-Gussmann, A., Strasburger, J. F., & Wakai, R. T. (2022). Contribution of fetal magnetocardiography to diagnosis, risk assessment, and treatment of fetal arrhythmia. Journal of the American Heart Association, 11, e025224.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Bioelectronic

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

October 19, 2026

Submission Date

January 17, 2026

Acceptance Date

May 27, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 14

APA
Ebrahimpour Moghaddam Tasouj, P., Soysal, G., & Eroğul, O. (2026). Scalogram-Based Binary Fetal Arrhythmia Classification Using ML and DL. Balkan Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 14, 277-288. https://doi.org/10.17694/bajece.1865763
AMA
1.Ebrahimpour Moghaddam Tasouj P, Soysal G, Eroğul O. Scalogram-Based Binary Fetal Arrhythmia Classification Using ML and DL. Balkan Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 2026;14:277-288. doi:10.17694/bajece.1865763
Chicago
Ebrahimpour Moghaddam Tasouj, Parisa, Gökhan Soysal, and Osman Eroğul. 2026. “Scalogram-Based Binary Fetal Arrhythmia Classification Using ML and DL”. Balkan Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering 14 (October): 277-88. https://doi.org/10.17694/bajece.1865763.
EndNote
Ebrahimpour Moghaddam Tasouj P, Soysal G, Eroğul O (October 1, 2026) Scalogram-Based Binary Fetal Arrhythmia Classification Using ML and DL. Balkan Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering 14 277–288.
IEEE
[1]P. Ebrahimpour Moghaddam Tasouj, G. Soysal, and O. Eroğul, “Scalogram-Based Binary Fetal Arrhythmia Classification Using ML and DL”, Balkan Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering, vol. 14, pp. 277–288, Oct. 2026, doi: 10.17694/bajece.1865763.
ISNAD
Ebrahimpour Moghaddam Tasouj, Parisa - Soysal, Gökhan - Eroğul, Osman. “Scalogram-Based Binary Fetal Arrhythmia Classification Using ML and DL”. Balkan Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering 14 (October 1, 2026): 277-288. https://doi.org/10.17694/bajece.1865763.
JAMA
1.Ebrahimpour Moghaddam Tasouj P, Soysal G, Eroğul O. Scalogram-Based Binary Fetal Arrhythmia Classification Using ML and DL. Balkan Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 2026;14:277–288.
MLA
Ebrahimpour Moghaddam Tasouj, Parisa, et al. “Scalogram-Based Binary Fetal Arrhythmia Classification Using ML and DL”. Balkan Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering, vol. 14, Oct. 2026, pp. 277-88, doi:10.17694/bajece.1865763.
Vancouver
1.Parisa Ebrahimpour Moghaddam Tasouj, Gökhan Soysal, Osman Eroğul. Scalogram-Based Binary Fetal Arrhythmia Classification Using ML and DL. Balkan Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 2026 Oct. 1;14:277-88. doi:10.17694/bajece.1865763

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