Abstract
Objective: Redistribution of cardiac output is responsible for the "brain sparing" effect seen during periods of acute or chronic fetal stress. We investigated the relationship between prelabour cardiac function in fetuses that subsequently developed intrapartum fetal compromise (IFC). Methods: A blinded, prospective, observational, cohort study, at Mater Mother's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia. A cohort of 284 women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies underwent ultrasound every 2 weeks from 36 weeks until delivery. Fetal cardiac output was assessed by conventional Doppler ultrasound and myocardial deformation was measured using velocity vector imaging. Results: Two hundred and seventy three women were included in the final analysis, of which 19% had an emergency operative delivery for intrapartum fetal compromise (IFC). Global left ventricular strain (-12.1%, interquartile ranges (IQR) - 10.3 to -14% versus 13%, IQR -11.3 to -14.2%, p = .01) and strain rate (-1.00, IQR 0.85-1.16 s(-1) versus -1.11, IQR -1.00 to -1.21 s(-1), p < .001) were lower in fetuses that required any emergency operative delivery for IFC compared to those that did not. Global longitudinal right ventricular strain rate was lower in fetuses that developed IFC (-1.04 +/- 0.22 s(-1) versus 1.13 +/- 0.22 s(-1), p < .001), whereas global right ventricular strain did not show any significance differences between the two groups. Additionally, left ventricular cardiac output was lower in fetuses that developed IFC or had a composite neonatal morbidity (560 +/- 44 mL/min versus 617 +/- 72 mL/min, p < .001) or (581 +/- 44 mL/min versus 612 +/- 72 mL/min, p < .01), respectively. Conclusion: Lower global left ventricular strain and strain rate and cardiac output are associated with IFC and poorer condition of the newborn. Assessment of fetal cardiac function may be useful for risk stratification for intrapartum fetal compromise in apparently "low risk" term pregnancies.