BACKGROUND Myocardial deformation imaging offers the potential to measure myocardial function. Remodelling, the change in size, shape and function, appears as a result of pressure or volume changes and is thought to be the first sign of fetal adaptation to placental dysfunction. Deformation can be measured using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). STE in the fetus might be useful for detection and follow up of the fetus endangered by placental dysfunction. Reference values for fetal myocardial deformation during gestation have not been comprehensively described and need further investigation before STE can be introduced in daily clinical practice. The aim of this study is to determine reference values for fetal myocardial deformation throughout gestation in uncomplicated pregnancies. METHODS A longitudinal cohort will be performed. 150 Women, pregnant from a non-anomalous singleton, will be included from 19 to 21 + 6 weeks gestational age. Thereafter, fetal heart ultrasounds will be performed 4 weekly, until 41 weeks gestational age or delivery. Ultrasound data will be analysed using STE software to determine reference values for fetal cardiac deformation during gestation. DISCUSSION Measuring cardiac deformation changes in pregnancy can be a promising tool to detect preclinical cardiac adaptation to placental dysfunction. However, previous studies used different ultrasound scans and STE software resulting in incomparable and contradictory results on deformation values. In this prospective study reference values during pregnancy, cardiac deformation values will be assessed with the same ultrasound and software package in 150 uncomplicated pregnancies. TRIAL REGISTRATION National Trial Register number: NTR7132. Date of inclusion: 2018/04/06.

中文翻译：

---

孕妇的胎儿心脏变形值正常；前瞻性队列研究方案。

背景技术心肌变形成像提供了测量心肌功能的潜力。重塑，大小，形状和功能的变化，是压力或体积变化的结果，被认为是胎儿适应胎盘功能障碍的第一个迹象。可以使用斑点跟踪超声心动图（STE）来测量变形。胎儿中的STE可能有助于检测和随访因胎盘功能障碍而濒临灭绝的胎儿。妊娠期间胎儿心肌变形的参考值尚未得到全面描述，在将STE引入日常临床实践之前，需要进一步研究。这项研究的目的是确定未妊娠合并妊娠期间胎儿心肌变形的参考值。方法将进行纵向队列研究。150名女性，非异常单胎孕妇，将被纳入19至21 + 6周的胎龄。此后，将每周进行4次胎儿心脏超声检查，直到胎龄或分娩41周为止。将使用STE软件分析超声数据，以确定妊娠期间胎儿心脏变形的参考值。讨论在怀孕中测量心脏变形的变化可能是检测临床前心脏对胎盘功能障碍适应性的有前途的工具。但是，先前的研究使用了不同的超声扫描和STE软件，导致变形值无可比拟和矛盾。在此前瞻性研究参考值中，我们将使用相同的超声波和软件包对150例未怀孕的孕妇进行心脏变形值的评估。试用注册国家试用注册号：NTR7132。收录日期：2018/04/06。