title: The effect of fetal congenital heart disease on in utero urine production rate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of congenital heart disease (CHD) or congestive heart failure (CHF) on fetal urine production rate (UPR) and to establish normal reference intervals.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed on normal fetuses (n = 314) and on fetuses with CHD (n = 49). CHD cases were divided into groups on the basis of heart function as defined by Huhta score: with CHF (n = 11) and without CHF (n = 38). Fetal bladder volume was measured by two-dimensional as well as three-dimensional ultrasound with the Virtual Organ Computer-aided Analysis technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In normal fetuses, UPR increased with gestational age from a mean value of 4.5 mL/h at 21 weeks to 66.5 mL/h at 40 weeks. There were no significant differences in UPR between CHD cases without CHF and controls (P = 0.581). However, fetuses with CHF had decreased UPR values (Controls vs. CHF, P = 0.007) compared with the controls. The interobserver and intraobserver variability for assessment of UPR was better using three-dimensional rather than two-dimensional US.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fetal UPR can be reproducibly measured by the Virtual Organ Computer-aided Analysis technique. It appears that heart function, rather than CHD, affects fetal UPR. Fetal UPR may therefore be an additional indicator of CHF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Xian
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Guo-Rong
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Qiu-Yue
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology; D014553:Urinary Tract Physiological Phenomena