Evaluation of Fetal Cardiac Functions in Preeclampsia: Does the Severity or Proteinuria Affect Fetal Cardiac Functions?

OBJECTIVE: To compare the fetal cardiac functions in preeclampsia and control group, and determine whether the severity or amount of proteinuria affects fetal cardiac functions. METHODS: This prospective case-control study involves 48 pregnant women with preeclampsia and 48 healthy women. Pulsed wave Doppler, M-mode, and tissue Doppler imaging were used to measure the cardiac function between the 32 and 34 gestational weeks in each group. All Doppler indices and cardiac function parameters were also compared in subgroups with mild and severe preeclampsia and between subgroups with proteinuria >3 g/24 hours and <3 g/24 hours. RESULTS: Decreased diastolic function (decreased E, A, E', and A' values in mitral/tricuspid valves and increased isovolumetric relaxation time) and decreased systolic functions (decreased mitral and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and S' value in mitral/tricuspid valves) were detected in the preeclampsia group. Decreased tricuspid E value in severe preeclampsia compared with mild preeclampsia was shown in the present study. CONCLUSION: Preeclampsia may cause changes in systolic and diastolic functions in the fetal heart. Subclinical functional changes of these fetuses can be detected earlier and more sensitively with the help of tissue Doppler imaging. Biventricular diastolic functional changes are more prominent in preeclamptic cases with proteinuria >3 g/24 hours.