Fetal cardiac arrhythmias are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, and Doppler ultrasound can effectively monitor fetal hemodynamics and response to in utero therapy.
Supports heightened surveillance for fetal distress in arrhythmia; extends Doppler evidence for Frank-Starling mechanism but leaves open clinical translation.
By means of abdominal fetal ECG and non-invasive ultrasound blood flow studies 113 cases of fetal cardiac arrhythmia were classified according to the origin of arrhythmia. Pregnancy outcome was characterized by an increased frequency of fetal distress and heart malformation, and increased fetal and neonatal mortality. The following types of arrhythmia were identified: supraventricular extrasystoles (n = 84), paroxysmal tachycardia (n = 6), sinus bradycardia (n = 3), atrial flutter (n = 1), ventricular extrasystoles (n = 14), and atrioventricular block (n = 5). In 37 cases the combined Doppler and real-time ultrasound technique was used to measure fetal aortic blood flow as a means of studying the circulatory effects of the arrhythmia. Increased peak velocity, rising slope and acceleration were found in the first post-pausal beat after a supraventricular extrasystole or a missed beat; this supports the validity of Frank-Starling law for the fetal heart and suggests that a strong relationship exists between these variables and myocardial contractility. In two cases of intra-uterine heart failure, the effect of digoxin treatment in utero on the fetal aortic flow variables was studied, results indicating a positive inotropic effect of the drug on the fetal myocardium. The estimation of fetal aortic volume blood flow in cases of fetal cardiac arrhythmia is useful for early detection of fetal cardiac failure, and for monitoring the effects of intra-uterine treatment.
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Lingman et al. (1986) studied this question.
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