Fetal myocardial tissue Doppler indices before birth physiologically change in proportion to body size adjusted for gestational age in low-risk term pregnancies

• Published in: Early human development Vol. 88; no. 7; pp. 517 - 523
• Main Authors: Sekii, Katsuyuki, Ishikawa, Takamichi, Ogata, Tsutomu, Itoh, Hiroaki, Iwashima, Satoru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.07.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Advanced Basic Science; Biological and medical sciences; Birth weight; Body Size - physiology; Body Weights and Measures - standards; Cardiac function; Echocardiography, Doppler; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Female; Fetus; Fetus - anatomy & histology; Fetus - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gestational Age; Health Status Indicators; Heart - anatomy & histology; Heart - embryology; Heart - physiology; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Myocardium - cytology; Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine; Parturition - physiology; Placenta; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, Third - physiology; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Term Birth - physiology; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; Ultrasound; z score; Pregnancy; Placenta; Cardiac function; Fetus; Birth weight; z score; Ultrasound; Human; Fetal membrane; Corporal biometry; Birth; Gestational age; Term pregnancy; Body size; Developmental stage
• ISSN: 0378-3782; 1872-6232; 1872-6232
• DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2011.12.014

Few studies have investigated the relationship between myocardial tissue Doppler parameters and fetal size adjusted for gestational age and its trend has been controversial. To investigate fetal cardiac function before birth using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI: indicated by the prime symbol (′)) in low-risk term pregnancies by comparing the TDI parameters with gestational age-specific birth weight percentiles and z scores. Study design and measurements Interventricular septum, left and right ventricular myocardial peak early diastolic (E′), late diastolic (A′) and systolic (S′) velocities, E′/A′ ratios, myocardial performance index (MPI′) and umbilical artery pulsatility index were measured within three days before birth in 76 low-risk term pregnancies, including appropriate for gestational age (AGA, n=50), small for gestational age (SGA, n=10), and large for gestational age (LGA, n=16) subjects. Myocardial peak velocities showed higher in the LGA and lower in the SGA compared with the AGA group, and All S′ positively correlated with birth weight (r=0.51–0.57). All z scores of S′ demonstrated a positive correlation with birth weight z score (Spearman r=0.45–0.53). MPI′ was significantly higher in the SGA and lower in the LGA compared with the AGA group. All MPI′ negatively correlated with birth weight (r=−0.55 to −0.65). All z scores of MPI′ showed a negative correlation with birth weight z score (Spearman r=−0.40 to −0.56). Fetal myocardial peak velocities and MPI′ physiologically changed in proportion to body size adjusted for gestational age in low-risk term pregnancies.