OP21.03: Effectiveness of early fetal echocardiography with 4D-STIC technology (original) (raw)

2008, Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Oral poster abstracts OP20.09 The uteroplacental and fetal circulation in ongoing pregnancies with known fetal malformations -correlation with maternal distress Objectives: To prospectively investigate the correlation between maternal distress after prenatal diagnosis of fetal malformations and the feto-maternal circulation. Methods: A cohort of women (group A, n = 30) carrying a fetus with a non-cardiac malformation underwent Doppler blood flow measurements and psychometric evaluation at fixed points from the time of diagnosis throughout pregnancy. The same protocol was used in controls (group B, n = 29) with presumably healthy fetuses. At 29-31 weeks gestational age (GA), mean uterine artery (UtA) pulsatility index (PI), umbilical artery (UA) PI, middle cerebral artery (MCA) PI, and ductus venosus (DV) PI for veins (PIV) were measured. MCA/UA PI ratio (MCA/UA) was calculated. Psychological distress was measured by Impact of Event Scale (IES) self-report questionnaire. IES subscores for intrusion, avoidance, and arousal were calculated. Results: There were no significant differences in GA or parity between the groups. Median maternal age was significantly lower in group A (31.0 yrs (19-40) vs. 33.0 (23-39), P = 0.034), but this was not correlated with either parity or any of the outcome measures. Doppler findings did not differ significantly between the groups except UtA PI (A: 0.63 ± 0.13 vs. B: 0.74 ± 0.15, P = 0.006). IES scores were significantly higher in group A (IESsum P = 0.003, intrusion P = 0.002, avoidance P < 0.001, arousal P = 0.015). In the overall group, the only correlation between Doppler results and psychometric scores was found between UA PI and avoidance (r = 0.281, P = 0.034). In group A there was a correlation between both MCA PI and MCA/UA, and IESsum (r =−0.456, P = 0.011;r=−0.380, P = 0.038), intrusion (r =−0.475, P = 0.008;r=−0.436, P = 0.016), and avoidance (r =−0.368, P = 0.045;r=−0.375, P = 0.041), respectively. Conclusions: In women carrying a fetus with known malformation there may be a correlation between maternal distress and the fetal cerebral circulation at 30 weeks of GA.