Fetal cardiac anomalies and genetic syndromes

Emerging Paradigms in Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring: Evaluating the Efficacy and Application of Innovative Textile-Based Wearables

This comprehensive review offers a thorough examination of fetal heart rate (fHR) monitoring methods, which are an essential component of prenatal care for assessing fetal health and identifying possible problems early on. It examines the clinical uses, accuracy, and limitations of both modern and traditional monitoring techniques, such as electrocardiography (ECG), ballistocardiography (BCG), phonocardiography (PCG), and cardiotocography (CTG), in a variety of obstetric scenarios. A particular focus is on the most recent developments in textile-based wearables for fHR monitoring. These innovative devices mark a substantial advancement in the field and are noteworthy for their continuous data collection capability and ergonomic design. The review delves into the obstacles that arise when incorporating these wearables into clinical practice. These challenges include problems with signal quality, user compliance, and data interpretation. Additionally, it looks at how these technologies could improve fetal health surveillance by providing expectant mothers with more individualized and non-intrusive options, which could change the prenatal monitoring landscape.

No. 363-Investigation and Management of Non-immune Fetal Hydrops

OBJECTIVE

To describe the current investigation and management of non-immune fetal hydrops with a focus on treatable or recurring etiologies.

OUTCOMES

To provide better counselling and management in cases of prenatally diagnosed non-immune hydrops.

EVIDENCE

Published literature was retrieved through searches of PubMed or MEDLINE, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library in 2017 using key words (non-immune hydrops fetalis, fetal hydrops, fetal therapy, fetal metabolism). Results were restricted to systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials/controlled clinical trials, observational studies, and significant case reports. Additional publications were identified from the bibliographies of these articles. There were no date or language restrictions. Searches were updated on a regular basis and incorporated in the guideline to September 2017. Grey (unpublished) literature was identified through searching the websites of health technology assessment and health technology-related agencies, clinicalpractice guideline collections, clinical trial registries, and national and international medical specialty societies.

BENEFITS, HARMS, AND COSTS

These guidelines educate readers about the causes of non-immune fetal hydrops and its prenatal counselling and management. It also provides a standardized approach to non-immune fetal hydrops, emphasizing the search for prenatally treatable conditions and recurrent genetic etiologies.

VALUES

The quality of evidence in this document was rated using the criteria described in the Report of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.

RECOMMENDATIONS

N° 363 - Évaluation et prise en charge de l'anasarque fœtoplacentaire non immune

OBJECTIF

Décrire les méthodes actuelles d'évaluation et de prise en charge de l'anasarque fœtoplacentaire non immune en mettant l'accent sur les étiologies traitables ou récurrentes. RéSULTATS: Offrir de meilleurs services de conseil et de prise en charge en cas d'anasarque fœtoplacentaire non immune diagnostiquée en période prénatale. DONNéES: La littérature publiée a été récupérée au moyen de recherches menées dans PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, et la Bibliothèque Cochrane en 2017 à l'aide de mots-clés (« non-immune hydrops fetalis », « fetal hydrops », « fetal therapy », « fetal metabolism »). Les articles retenus portaient sur des revues systématiques, des essais cliniques contrôlés, randomisés ou non, des études observationnelles et des études de cas importantes. D'autres publications ont été repérées dans les bibliographies de ces articles. Aucune restriction de date ou de langue n'a été employée. Les recherches ont été mis à jour régulièrement, et les résultats ont été incorporés à la directive clinique jusqu'en septembre 2017. Nous avons également tenu compte de la littérature grise (non publiée) trouvée sur les sites Web d'organismes d'évaluation des technologies de la santé et d'autres organismes liés aux technologies de la santé, dans des collections de directives cliniques et des registres d'essais cliniques, et obtenue auprès d'associations nationales et internationales de médecins spécialistes. AVANTAGES, INCONVéNIENTS ET COûTS: La présente directive clinique renseigne les lecteurs sur les causes de l'anasarque fœtoplacentaire non immune ainsi que sur son évaluation et sa prise en charge. Elle propose également une approche standardisée d'évaluation et de prise en charge, et met l'accent sur la recherche des conditions traitables en période prénatale et des étiologies génétiques récurrentes.

VALEURS

La qualité des données probantes a été évaluée en fonction des critères décrits dans le rapport du Groupe d'étude canadien sur les soins de santé préventifs. RECOMMANDATIONS.

Predictors of High Serum Casein Antibody Levels among Malnourished Infants and Young Children with Congenital Heart Disease

BACKGROUND

Factors predictive of growth retardation and malnutrition in patients with congenital heart disease remain unclear.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to measure antibody response to bovine casein through assessing serum casein antibody levels in malnourished patients three year or younger with CHD, and to determine its relationship to gastrointestinal symptoms, anthropometric measures, and laboratory data.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

This cross sectional case control study was conducted in sixty patients with CHD aged 4 to 72 months. They were subdivided into thirty patients with cyanotic and thirty patients with acyanotic CHD compared with thirty apparently healthy children.

RESULTS

On comparison with controls, patients showed highly significant lower anthropometric measures, calcium, iron, hemoglobin levels, and higher serum levels of casein antibody, total iron binding capacity, and alkaline phoshatase activity (P<0.000). Serum levels of casein antibody showed significantly positive correlations with serum total iron binding capacity and alkaline phosphatase activities and negatively correlated with the age at onset of symptoms, anthropometric measures, serum calcium, and iron levels.

CONCLUSION

Serum casein antibody levels play a significant role in the pathogenesis of malnutrition. Encouragement of breast feeding and avoidance of early cow's milk consumption could prevent the development of antibody response to bovine casein.

Antenatal diagnosis and management of life-limiting conditions

Whereas structural fetal abnormalities are relatively frequent occurrences, many of these do not impact measurably on future life and/or are amenable to postnatal therapy. A small minority are considered to be potentially lethal or life-limiting. Examples include specific skeletal dysplasias, urinary tract abnormalities - typically those which lead to anhydramnios and pulmonary hypoplasia, some disorders of the central nervous system and trisomies 13 and 18. Without seeking to compile an exhaustive list of such conditions, we discuss the principles and new considerations in relation to antenatal diagnosis and perinatal management of such disorders.

MLPA: a prenatal diagnostic tool for the study of congenital heart defects?

Congenital heart defects (CHD) represent the most common birth defects, so they are not a rare finding when performing routine ultrasound examinations during pregnancy. Once chromosome abnormalities have been excluded in a fetus with a CHD, chromosome 22q11.2 deletion is usually investigated by FISH, as it is the most frequent microdeletion syndrome and is generally associated with cardiac malformations. If 22q11.2 microdeletion is ruled out, the etiology of the CHD remains generally unexplained, making familial genetic counseling difficult. To evaluate the usefulness of Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) kits designed for the study of 22q11.2 and other genomic regions previously associated with syndromic CHD, we performed MLPA in 55 pregnancies with fetuses presenting CHD, normal karyotype and negative FISH results for 22q11.2 microdeletion, which constitutes the largest prenatal series reported. Definitive MLPA results were obtained in 50 pregnancies, and in this setting such MLPA kits did not detect any imbalance. On the other hand, to compare FISH and MLPA techniques for the study of 22q11.2 microdeletions, we performed MLPA in 4 pregnancies known to have 22q11.2 deletions (by FISH). All four 22q11.2 microdeletions were also detected by MLPA, which corroborates that it is a reliable technique for the diagnosis and characterization of 22q11.2 deletions. Finally, we evaluated the possibility of replacing conventional FISH by MLPA for the prenatal diagnosis of CHD, comparing the diagnostic potential, results delivery times, repetition and failure rates and cost of both techniques, and concluded that FISH should still be the technique of choice for the prenatal diagnosis of fetuses with CHD.

Brachmann-de Lange syndrome: definition of prenatal sonographic features to facilitate definitive prenatal diagnosis

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to improve the prenatal diagnosis of Brachmann-de Lange syndrome (BDLS) by defining the sonographic criteria.

METHODS

Retrospective review of Fetal Medicine Unit (FMU) notes from 1998 to 2009 to identify all cases seen with a final diagnosis of BDLS. Literature review undertaken to ascertain all cases where sonographic features of BDLS had been described. Information was pooled to define the most common features.

RESULTS

Seven cases were identified from review of FMU records. The diagnosis was suspected prenatally in four of the seven. All had asymmetrical forearm defects with oligodactyly/polydactyly, five had intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and five had abnormal facial features including micrognathia and/or a long overhanging philtrum. A further 28 cases were identified in the literature, but the diagnosis was only suspected prenatally in nine. Overall the most common feature was IUGR (80%); upper limb anomalies were detected in nearly half of cases. Other common features included facial anomalies (40%), diaphragmatic hernia (34%), increased nuchal translucency/fold (37%) and cardiac anomalies (14%).

CONCLUSIONS

Identification of asymmetrical oligodactyly with or without forearm anomalies associated with microcephaly and/or IUGR or diaphragmatic hernia are findings that should arouse suspicion of BDLS, although definitive diagnosis at present would have to await delivery in the majority of cases.

A Review of Fetal ECG Signal Processing; Issues and Promising Directions

The field of electrocardiography has been in existence for over a century, yet despite significant advances in adult clinical electrocardiography, signal processing techniques and fast digital processors, the analysis of fetal ECGs is still in its infancy. This is, partly due to a lack of availability of gold standard databases, partly due to the relatively low signal-to-noise ratio of the fetal ECG compared to the maternal ECG (caused by the various media between the fetal heart and the measuring electrodes, and the fact that the fetal heart is simply smaller), and in part, due to the less complete clinical knowledge concerning fetal cardiac function and development. In this paper we review a range of promising recording and signal processing techniques for fetal ECG analysis that have been developed over the last forty years, and discuss both their shortcomings and advantages. Before doing so, however, we review fetal cardiac development, and the etiology of the fetal ECG. A selection of relevant models for the fetal/maternal ECG mixture is also discussed. In light of current understanding of the fetal ECG, we then attempt to justify recommendations for promising future directions in signal processing, and database creation.

Increased nuchal translucency with normal karyotype: a follow-up study of 100 cases supplemented with CGH and MLPA analyses

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether high-resolution comparative genomic hybridization (HR-CGH) and subtelomeric and syndrome-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) would detect minor chromosomal aberrations in fetuses with increased nuchal translucency thickness (NT) and normal karyotype on conventional karyotyping.

METHODS

Chorionic villus samples from 100 fetuses with NT > or = 99(th) percentile and normal G-banding analysis and MLPA for detection of aneuploidies for chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y were included. Examinations were supplemented by HR-CGH and MLPA for syndromes and subtelomeric regions. Pregnancy outcome was followed up.

RESULTS

Among 80 liveborn children who were followed up, three (4%) had syndromes involving mental retardation, including a case of Sotos syndrome caused by a de novo mutation. 15% of fetuses were lost during pregnancy due to abnormalities and termination. The rate of adverse outcome overall was 18%. HR-CGH and MLPA did not detect any chromosomal aberrations associated with the syndromes.

CONCLUSION

The rate of adverse outcome was similar to levels recorded in the literature. Using CGH and MLPA did not increase the detection rate of genetic disease, which supports the current approach of repeated ultrasound examinations in these high-risk pregnancies.

Cardiovascular genetic medicine: evolving concepts, rationale, and implementation

Cardiovascular genetic medicine is devoted to the identification and understanding of cardiac conditions resulting from genetic and genomic mechanisms and to the development and validation of diagnostic and treatment algorithms and guidelines. Cardiovascular genetic medicine clinics now provide expert cardiovascular subspecialty care, genetic counseling and clinical genetic testing, and will eventually provide disease-specific gene or genetic therapies. Currently, the most tractable diagnoses for cardiovascular genetic medicine are the single-gene disorders: the cardiomyopathies, the channelopathies, and others. The recent explosion of genetic knowledge within the single-gene disorders and consequent rapid proliferation of genetic testing enables far greater numbers of individuals to directly benefit from this progress. A compelling rationale exists for this approach: cardiovascular single-gene diseases commonly present with life-threatening events (e.g., sudden cardiac death, heart failure, stroke, etc.), but identification, evaluation, and treatment of individuals with presymptomatic genetic risk has the promise to prevent or ameliorate cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Cardiovascular genetic medicine programs also anchor training and research, thereby enabling the next generation of academic specialists in cardiovascular genetic medicine to continue to improve cardiovascular health.

[Holt-Oram syndrome: genetic counseling and diagnosis with prenatal ultrasonography]

Authors report the cases of the autosomal dominant Holt-Oram syndrome encountered during genetic counseling in the authors' institution between 1976 and 2005. A male patient with Holt-Oram syndrome considered the 50% risk of transmission of the disease too high, thus he decided against fathering children. Prenatal fetal ultrasonography and echocardiography were performed in two pregnant women affected with Holt-Oram syndrome. In one case the possibility of the syndrome was excluded, in the other Holt-Oram syndrome was diagnosed. In two further cases Holt-Oram syndrome was prenatally diagnosed on the basis of ultrasonography in two midtrimester fetuses from unaffected parents. In one case the cardiac and skeletal malformations proved to be so serious that the couple requested termination of the pregnancy. The pathologic examination of the fetus confirmed the prenatal diagnosis.

Unique occurrence of Brachmann-de Lange syndrome in a fetus whose mother presented with a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Brachmann-De Lange Syndrome (BDLS, MIM 122470) is a rare multiple congenital anomaly/mental retardation syndrome characterized by a variable phenotype including intrauterine fetal growth retardation, limb reduction and distinctive facial and skull features (low frontal hairline, synophrys, anteverted nostrils, long philtrum, downturned corners of the mouth, micro- and retrognathia, low-set ears and micro-/brachycephaly), as well as a significant psychological developmental delay. A proposed classification system for BDLS include a classic type with characteristic facial and skull changes, a mild type where similar changes may develop with time or may be partially expressed, and a third type including phenocopies, where phenotypic changes are casually related to chromosomal aneuploidies or teratogenic exposures. We report on a 22-week gestation fetus with BDLS, showing intrauterine fetal growth retardation, brachycephaly, micro-/retrognathia and monolateral single bone of the forearm, in a woman harboring diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Meticulous family history was negative for malformations, syndromes, congenital anomalies or psychiatric disorders. There are very few reports of BDLS at early gestation, but to the best of our knowledge, this is the first case occurring simultaneously with a hematological neoplastic disease of the mother.

Delineation of an isodicentric Y chromosome in a mosaic 45,X/46,X,idic(Y)(qter-p11.3::p11.3-qter) fetus by SRY sequencing, G-banding, FISH, SKY and study of distribution in different tissues

Many factors such as genetic, developmental and hormonal are involved in mammalian sex determination. The relative importance and the mutual interactions among those factors are obscure. Study of cytogenetic mosaicism involving sex chromosomes may help to further unravel the mysterious process. We report a fetus with a mosaic karyotype, 45,X/46,X,idic(Y)(qter-p11.3::p11.3-qter), with unambiguous male external genitalia and a defect in the interventricular septum of the heart. Genotype of this fetus was extensively studied by technologies including sequencing of SRY (sex-determining region on the Y chromosome) gene, G-banding, FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) and SKY (spectral karyotyping). A markedly higher percentage of Y-containing cells was observed in the gonads (55%) than in the amniotic fluid (17%) and placental villi (11%), which was considered to be the major reason why the fetus did not have ambiguous genitalia.

Congenital heart disease and other heterotaxic defects in a large cohort of patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia

BACKGROUND

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a recessive genetic disorder that is characterized by sinopulmonary disease and reflects abnormal ciliary structure and function. Situs inversus totalis occurs in approximately 50% of PCD patients (Kartagener's syndrome in PCD), and there are a few reports of PCD with heterotaxy (situs ambiguus), such as cardiovascular anomalies. Advances in diagnosis of PCD, such as genetic testing, allow the systematic investigation of this association.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The prevalence of heterotaxic defects was determined in 337 PCD patients by retrospective review of radiographic and ultrasound data. Situs solitus (normal situs) and situs inversus totalis were identified in 46.0% and 47.7% of patients, respectively, and 6.3% (21 patients) had heterotaxy. As compared with patients with situs solitus, those with situs abnormalities had more ciliary outer dynein arm defects, fewer inner dynein arm and central apparatus defects (P<0.001), and more mutations in ciliary outer dynein arm genes (DNAI1 and DNAH5; P=0.022). Seven of 12 patients with heterotaxy who were genotyped had mutations in DNAI1 or DNAH5. Twelve patients with heterotaxy had cardiac and/or vascular abnormalities, and most (8 of 12 patients) had complex congenital heart disease.

CONCLUSIONS

At least 6.3% of patients with PCD have heterotaxy, and most of those have cardiovascular abnormalities. The prevalence of congenital heart disease with heterotaxy is 200-fold higher in PCD than in the general population (1:50 versus 1:10 000); thus, patients with PCD should have cardiac evaluation. Conversely, mutations in genes that adversely affect both respiratory and embryological nodal cilia are a significant cause of heterotaxy and congenital heart disease, and screening for PCD is indicated in those patients.

Fetal echocardiography at the time of the nuchal translucency scan

OBJECTIVE

The fetal heart is not studied routinely in the first trimester because of technical and time limitations. Our aim was to assess the feasibility of performing a fetal cardiac study in pregnancies referred for nuchal translucency (NT) screening, using high-frequency linear transabdominal transducers with a specific ultrasound preset.

METHODS

A single trained operator assessed the fetal heart in pregnancies with a fetal crown-rump length (CRL) of 60-84 mm that had been referred for NT screening. A 15- or 6-MHz transabdominal linear transducer with a specific preset suitable mainly for color-flow mapping was used to confirm or refute normal cardiac anatomy rather than to establish a specific diagnosis. Fetuses having an increased risk for congenital heart disease were referred to a tertiary center for a further examination within 1 week. This group consisted of all fetuses with NT > 95(th) centile and those in which a family history or the initial heart scan increased the risk.

RESULTS

A total of 608 fetuses with a median CRL of 65 mm was examined between 2003 and 2005. A cardiac scan was performed successfully in 456 (75%) using a 15-MHz linear transducer alone, and the additional use of a 6-MHz transducer allowed diagnostic images to be obtained in a further 152. Normal cardiac anatomy was assessed confidently within 10 min in 517/608 (85%) pregnancies; in 85 (14%) a longer time was needed and six patients were rescheduled within 2 weeks because of non-diagnostic images at the initial scan. In 571/608 (94%) the risk for congenital heart disease (CHD) was not increased and the heart was considered normal at initial echocardiography; this was confirmed by later scans and at postnatal follow-up. In 37/608 (6%) fetuses the risk for CHD was increased (35 for NT > 95(th) centile and two for family history). In this group normal heart anatomy was described in 34 fetuses and confirmed by subsequent specialist echocardiography. Cardiac defects were suspected in three fetuses (all with increased NT) and confirmed by a fetal cardiologist in each case.

CONCLUSIONS

A trained operator can perform a fetal heart study during the NT screening test using transabdominal high-resolution transducers in an acceptable length of time.

Prospective study of 22q11 deletion analysis in fetuses with excess nuchal translucency

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of 22q11 deletions (DiGeorge, velocardiofacial syndromes) in chromosomally normal fetuses with excess nuchal translucency.

STUDY DESIGN

We evaluated chorionic villus sampling (CVS) samples submitted with an indication of excess nuchal translucency. If chromosome analysis was normal, permission was obtained to perform 22q11 microdeletion fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. By Fisher exact test, the null hypothesis that there is no association between excess nuchal translucency and 22q11 deletions was tested.

RESULTS

Among 239 CVS samples from fetuses with excess nuchal translucency, 93 (39%) were chromosomally abnormal. Of the remaining 146 specimens, 80 CVS samples were chromosomally normal, had documentation of nuchal translucency > 3.0 mm, and were included in the study at the referring obstetrician's request. None of the 80 fetuses with an increased nuchal translucency and normal karyotype demonstrated a 22q11 microdeletion. By Fisher exact test, the probability of 80 fetuses with excess nuchal translucency having no deletions of chromosome 22 was not significantly different than the expected rate of 0.18% (P value = 1).

CONCLUSION

Routine 22q11 microdeletion analysis for fetuses with excess nuchal translucency is not indicated. Instead, we recommend storing an extra unbanded slide from the cultured CVS material to permit 22q11 FISH analysis should a cardiac malformation be identified later by fetal echocardiography.

The neonate with congenital heart disease: what the cardiac surgeon needs to know from the neonatologist and the cardiologist

To plan and accomplish a successful operation for a neonate with congenital heart disease, the cardiac surgeon requires a complete anatomic description of the cardiovascular malformation. For optimum outcome, this information must be supplemented by a complete report of the prenatal and postnatal course of the newborn as well as by a thorough summary of any noncardiac congenital or acquired abnormalities. In the most favorable circumstance, the neonate arrives in the operating room completely diagnosed, fully resuscitated, well nourished, and with appropriate monitoring devices in place. Unique perioperative considerations attach to each cardiac anomaly and are briefly reviewed, and the importance of continuity of care for the patient and family is emphasized.