DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/hcad069.732 ISSN:

Systematic Approach of Basic Fetal Echocardiography in Normal and High Risk Pregnancy

Fatma Salah El Deen, Hend Galal El Deen Mohamed Ali, Mona Abdelaziz Mohamed Ibraheem
  • General Medicine

Background

Fetal echocardiography was initially used to identify congenital heart defects (CHD) and arrhythmias. Since then, technical advances have enabled a notable improvement in the assessment of cardiac structure and function.

Objective

to highlight the importance of a systematic approach of basic fetal echocardiography in normal and high risk pregnancy.

Patients and Methods

Normal and high risk pregnant females will be studied in this research using colour doppler ultrasound. Two-dimensional imaging is still the gold standard and commonly used in fetal echocardiography. Therefore, we present standard views of the normal fetal heart obtained during the second trimester by two-dimensional ultrasound, and color and pulsed wave Doppler. Study place: Ain Shams university hospitals. Sample size: 30 normal and 30 high risk pregnant female patients.

Results

we have provided reference values for cardiac morphometric parameters across second trimester of pregnancy in a low-risk and high risk population including the Right and left atria longitudinal diameters, right and left ventricular longitudinal diameters, cardiothoracic ratio and heart rate and correlate low to high risk values. All dimensions showed a progressive increase with gestational age, some of the parameters show significant difference between low risk and high risk including the LV diameter with p value of 0.023, cardiothoracic ratio with p value of 0.001 and heart rate with p value of 0.001

Conclusion

Fetal Echocardiography at the second trimester of pregnancy is crucial for detection of any abnormality at the high risk group and their follow up along the whole pregnancy for a better outcome.

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