Long-term outcome for children born after a first-trimester measurement of increased nuchal translucency with a normal karyotype: a retrospective analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To study the outcome of pregnancy in chromosomally normal fetuses with increased nuchal translucency with respect to fetal loss, structural defects genetic syndromes, and neurological outcome.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis and telephone interview. All included pregnancies underwent a mid-trimester anomaly scan.


RESULTS
279 pregnancies were included. The overall live birth rate was 81.4 %, and decreased as the NT measurement increased. The most common structural defect was cardiac anomalies (7 %). If the second-trimester anomaly scan was uneventful, the chance of a healthy live birth was 92 %. The number of unexpected neurodevelopmental delays after a normal scan during mid-trimester was 1.1 %.


CONCLUSIONS
Counseling should emphasize that if the karyotype is normal and no fetal structural malformations were missed prenatally after resolution of nuchal thickening, the prognosis is positive.
Axt-Fliedner
R
R
Division of Prenatal Medicine, OB&GYN, University Giessen and Marburg, Giessen. raxtfliedner@hotmail.com
Hartge
D
D
Chiriac
A
A
Krapp
M
M
Berg
C
C
Geipel
A
A
Germer
U
U
Gembruch
U
U
D002648:Child; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000196:embryology; D025063:Chromosome Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D050498:Live Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D048208:Nuchal Translucency Measurement; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*