The assessment of persistent bradycardia in prenatal life.
Twelve patients with persistent fetal bradycardia were referred for echocardiographic assessment; in 10 patients the fetus had complete heart block, six isolated and four with associated structural heart disease. In the remaining two patients an atrial arrhythmia was producing a fetal sinus bradycardia. Complete heart block with structural heart disease has a poor prognosis. Isolated complete heart block has a good prognosis if the pregnancy is carefully managed. A sinus bradycardia due to atrial ectopic beats is a benign arrhythmia. Echocardiographic assessment of the heart can give an accurate prognosis in fetal bradycardia and provide a basis for appropriate obstetric management.
D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000150:complications; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000209:etiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D006327:Heart Block / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis