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The use of fetal echocardiography for predicting intrapartum fetal heart rate patterns in the post‐term pregnancy

One of the shortcomings of antepartum testing in the post‐term pregnancy is that it does not identify the majority of fetuses who develop abnormal intrapartum fetal heart rate changes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether antenatal cardiovascular evaluation could aid in the identification of post‐term fetuses at risk for intraparturn heart rate abnormalities. Seventy‐five patients with a gestational age greater than 41 weeks underwent a non‐stress test, amniotic fluid index and real‐time assessment of the heart for the presence or absence of a pericardial effusion. M‐mode measurements of the right ventricular inner dimension (RVID), left ventricular inner dimension (LVID), biventricular outer dimension (BVOD) and Doppler velocimetry of the umbilical artery (S/D) were performed. Group I (n = 32) had normal intrapartum heart rate tracings. Group II (n = 20) had abnormal intrapartum fetal heart rate tracings but did not undergo emergency delivery. Group III (n = 23) had abnormal intrapartum fetal heart rate tracings but underwent emergency delivery. When comparing Group I with Group II, the latter had significant differences for abnormal RVID, RVID/LVID ratio, and pericardial effusion. When comparing Groups I and III, there were significant differences for RVID, RVID/LVID ratio, pericardial effusion, BVOD, LVID and amniotic fluid index. Neither the non‐stress test nor S/D predicted abnormal intrapartum fetal heart rate patterns. For prediction of abnormal intrapartum heart rate patterns, the sensitivities of the RVID (0.79), LVID (0.33), RVID/LVID ratio (0.72) and BVOD (0.63) were 1.7–4 times greater than the non‐stress test (0.19) and the sensitivities of the RVID, RVID/LVID ratio and BVOD were 2 times greater than the amniotic fluid index (0.28). The positive (0.50–0.86) and negative (0.42–0.68) predictive values were similar for all groups. To predict emergency delivery associated with abnormal heart rate tracings, the sensitivities of the RVID (0.83), RVID/LVID ratio (0.70) and BVOD (0.65) were 2.5–3 times greater than the non‐stress test (0.26) and 1.5 times greater than the amniotic fluid index (0.39). The positive (0.36–0.56) and negative (0.70–0.86) predictive values were similar. The presence of pericardial effusion had a higher sensitivity than the non‐stress test and amniotic fluid index for predicting abnormal intrapartum heart rate patterns but not emergency delivery. Doppler velocimetry of the umbilical artery had a lower sensitivity than the non‐stress test and amniotic fluid index for predicting intrapartum heart rate patterns as well as identifying the fetus needing emergency delivery. The results of this study would suggest that there is initially dilatation of the right ventricle which may be associated with abnormal intrapartum fetal heart rate patterns. However, when the left ventricle dilates, leading to cardiomegaly, there is a greater incidence of abnormal intrapartum fetal heart rate changes and associated emergency delivery. The amniotic fluid index appears to be a later finding for predicting abnormal intrapartum fetal heart rate changes. Copyright © 1991 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology