Long-term neurodevelopmental outcome after fetal arrhythmia.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the long-term neurodevelopmental outcome in fetuses with severe tachy- or bradyarrhythmia.


METHODS
This was a follow-up study to assess the neurologic, mental, and psychomotor development in cases with fetal cardiac arrhythmia.


RESULTS
A total of 44 fetuses were diagnosed with fetal tachy- or bradyarrhythmia: 28 fetuses had supraventricular tachycardia (SVT); 7 fetuses had atrial flutter (AF), and 9 fetuses had atrioventricular block (AVB). The mortality rate was low (6%; 2/35 fetuses) in the SVT and AF groups and high in the AVB group (78%; 7/9 fetuses). Six patients were lost to follow-up evaluation (14%). Neurodevelopmental outcome was normal in all survivors in the SVT and AF groups, except for 1 patient who experienced plexus brachialis injury because of shoulder dystocia. Two of the 3 survivors in the AVB group had severe developmental delay.


CONCLUSIONS
The mortality rate and neurodevelopmental impairment in infants with SVT and AF are low, but the mortality rate in infants with AVB is elevated.
Lopriore
Enrico
E
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. e.lopriore@lumc.nl
Aziz
Muhammed I
MI
Nagel
Helene T
HT
Blom
Nico A
NA
Rozendaal
Lieke
L
Kanhai
Humphrey H H
HH
Vandenbussche
Frank P H A
FP
D000638:Amiodarone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D054537:Atrioventricular Block / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone