Investigating the Relationship Between Congenital Heart Disease in Fetal Echocardiography and High Nuchal Translucency Size in Fetal Ultrasound

Background and Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between congenital heart disease found in fetal echocardiography with high nuchal translucency (NT) size found in fetal ultrasound in mothers referring to Hazrat Masoumeh Hospital, Qom City, Iran, in ۲۰۱۹. Materials and Methods: In this analytical study, information on all pregnant women who underwent ultrasound screening in the first trimester of pregnancy and their NT size was determined. Also, information obtained from fetal echocardiographic results, which were then subjected to fetal echocardiography, was extracted from the files. Then, the relationship between cardiovascular abnormalities with NT size and variables such as birth, weight, gestational age, and gender in these mothers were entered into a checklist and examined. Finally, the relationship between congenital heart disease and NT size was investigated using the t-test. Results: The Mean±SD NT size of ۱۵۲ neonates without cardiovascular disease was ۱.۶۷±۰.۳ mm, and the Mean±SD size was ۱.۸۶±۰.۵ mm in ۴۰ neonates with cardiovascular disease. Also, a statistically significant relationship was found between NT size and cardiovascular disease in neonates (P=۰.۰۰). There was also a statistically significant relationship was not found between neonatal gender (P=۰.۷۱), maternal age (P=۰.۸۸), as well as between number of pregnancies (P=۰.۲۶), NT size (P=۰.۷۶), type of pregnancy (P=۰.۶۳), gestational age (P=۰.۴), and NT size on ultrasound. Conclusion: Fetal echocardiography is a non-invasive method suitable for the early diagnosis of congenital heart disease in high-and low-risk pregnancies. Increased NT size is also associated with cardiovascular disease in infants.

Keywords:

Nuchal translucency measurement , Heart defects , Congenital , Echocardiography