Relationship Between Nuchal Fold Thickness and Fetal Heart Disease in Pregnant Women Referred to a Pediatric Hospital in Bandar Abbas During ۲۰۱۸-۲۰۱۹

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is of the most common congenital anomalies. Most of the major cardiac defects can be diagnosed by fetal echocardiography at ۲۰ weeks of gestation. Evaluation of nuchal thickness can be the first stage of screening in the diagnosis of CHD. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between nuchal translucency (NT) and CHD in pregnant women. Materials and Methods: The current study is an analytical-descriptive study conducted on fetuses of ۴۴ pregnant women. Abdominal sonography of the participants at ۱۰-۱۴ weeks of gestation was performed, and they referred to a pediatric hospital in Bandar Abbas in order to undergo fetal echocardiography at ۱۷-۱۸ weeks of gestation. Results: The mean age of the participants was ۲۸ ± ۶ years. Out of ۴۴ pregnant women, fetal heart disease was diagnosed in ۴ pregnancies (۹%), one of whom was reported as ۲.۵≤NT<۳.۵ and three cases were reported as ۳.۵≤NT. Out of ۴۰ women with no fetal heart disease, two cases had NT≥۳.۵, ۱۲ cases had ۲.۵≤NT<۳.۵ and ۲۶ cases had NT>۲.۵. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that ۶.۸% of the cases of CHD had an increase in the thickness of NT (NT≥۳.۵) at ۱۰-۱۴ weeks of gestation. The sensitivity of this screening method was ۷۵% at ۱۸-۲۰ weeks of gestation which is low for general population. Therefore, NT cannot be regarded as the only or main screening tool for CHD.

Keywords:

Echocardiography , Fetal heart disease , Nuchal translucency