title: Ultrasound assessment of fetal cardiac function.
abstract: Introduction: Fetal heart evaluation with US is feasible and reproducible, although challenging due to the smallness of the heart, the high heart rate and limited access to the fetus. However, some cardiac parameters have already shown a strong correlation with outcomes and may soon be incorporated into clinical practice.Materials and Methods: Cardiac function assessment has proven utility in the differential diagnosis of cardiomyopathies or prediction of perinatal mortality in congenital heart disease. In addition, some cardiac parameters with high sensitivity such as MPI or annular peak velocities have shown promising results in monitoring and predicting outcome in intrauterine growth restriction or congenital diaphragmatic hernia.Conclusion: Cardiac function can be adequately evaluated in most fetuses when appropriate expertise, equipment and time are available. Fetal cardiac function assessment is a promising tool that may soon be incorporated into clinical practice to diagnose, monitor or predict outcome in some fetal conditions. Thus, more research is warranted to further define specific protocols for each fetal condition that may affect cardiac function.
authors.affiliation: Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research GroupInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i SunyerUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain; Department of Maternal-Fetal MedicineInstitut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetrícia i Neonatologia Hospital ClinicBarcelonaSpain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades RarasBarcelonaSpain.
authors.forename: Fàtima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crispi
authors.affiliation: Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research GroupInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i SunyerUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain; Department of Maternal-Fetal MedicineInstitut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetrícia i Neonatologia Hospital ClinicBarcelonaSpain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades RarasBarcelonaSpain.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Valenzuela-Alcaraz
authors.affiliation: Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research GroupInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i SunyerUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain; Department of Maternal-Fetal MedicineInstitut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetrícia i Neonatologia Hospital ClinicBarcelonaSpain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades RarasBarcelonaSpain.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cruz-Lemini
authors.affiliation: Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research GroupInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i SunyerUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain; Department of Maternal-Fetal MedicineInstitut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetrícia i Neonatologia Hospital ClinicBarcelonaSpain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades RarasBarcelonaSpain.
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gratacós
keywords: 4D STIC; echocardiography; fetal cardiac function; myocardial imaging; tissue Doppler