Abstract
Objectives
An association between fetal growth restriction (FGR) and increased predisposition to cardiovascular disease (CVD) is suggested. The aim of this study was to evaluate subclinical signs of fetal cardiac remodeling in late-onset small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and growth-restricted fetuses using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE).
Methods
This is a prospective cohort study, including 117 late-onset (≥32 weeks) SGA (birthweight≤10th centile) fetuses and 102 gestational age matched controls. A subgroup analysis was performed: FGR was defined based on either BW (<third centile) or the presence of feto-maternal Doppler abnormalities, the remaining cases were called SGA centile 3–10. 2D-STE based myocardial deformation analyses included longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS) and strain rate (LSR) of the global left (LV) or right (RV) ventricle and its individual segments.
Results
Global and segmental LPSS and LSR values showed no significant difference between late-onset SGA and control fetuses for both ventricles (p>0.05). Regarding global and segmental LPSS and LSR values of LV/RV, subgroup analysis revealed no significant difference between the FGR (n=81), SGA centile 3–10 (n=36) and control group.
Conclusions
A mild degree of placental dysfunction seems not to influence myocardial deformation properties measured by 2D-STE.
Funding source: Else Kröner Fresenius Stiftung
Award Identifier / Grant number: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN36008820
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Research funding: The study was funded by Else Kröner Fresenius Stiftung.
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Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
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Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
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Ethical approval: The study protocol was approved by the hospital ethics committee (Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine of the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine of the Technical University of Munich, date of approval: 24/07/2014) and uploaded http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN36008820.
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Supplementary Material
The online version of this article offers supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2021-0162).
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