Key result
First trimester fetal bradycardia below 85 bpm is linked to a 100% miscarriage rate.
Why the study?
The association between unusually slow first trimester fetal heart rates and pregnancy outcomes was unclear.
Is first trimester fetal bradycardia (<85 bpm) associated with spontaneous miscarriage in fetuses between 5+ and 8+ weeks?
Observational (n=65)
Is first trimester fetal bradycardia (<85 bpm) associated with spontaneous miscarriage in fetuses between 5+ and 8+ weeks?
First trimester fetal bradycardia (<85 bpm) between 5 and 8 weeks of gestation is a strong prognostic sign of impending fetal loss.
May prompt closer surveillance for first-trimester bradycardia; leaves open generalizability pending larger prospective validation.
Normal first trimester fetal heart rates rise from an average of 100 beats per minute (bpm) at 5 to 6 weeks to 140 bpm at 8 to 9 weeks. The heart rates of 65 consecutive first trimester fetuses between 5+ and 8+ weeks were measured to determine whether unusually slow first trimester fetal heartbeats are associated with a poor outcome. All five pregnancies in which heart rates were below 85 ended in spontaneous miscarriage. This study suggests that first trimester bradycardia may be associated with a poor prognosis for the pregnancy.
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Laboda et al. (1989) conducted an observational in First trimester pregnancy (n=65). First trimester bradycardia (heart rate < 85 bpm) vs. Normal fetal heart rate (≥ 85 bpm) was evaluated on Spontaneous miscarriage. First trimester fetal bradycardia (heart rate < 85 bpm) was associated with impending fetal loss, with 100% (5 of 5) of such pregnancies ending in spontaneous miscarriage.
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