Prenatal detection of orofacial clefts in Denmark from 2009 to 2018

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the overall and type-specific prenatal detection rates (DRs) of orofacial clefts in a national cohort in Denmark.

METHODS

This study was based on data from the Danish Fetal Medicine Database and included all fetuses and children from singleton pregnancies diagnosed with an orofacial cleft prenatally and/or postnatally between 2009 and 2018. The types of cleft included unilateral, bilateral or median cleft lip (CL); unilateral, bilateral or median cleft lip with secondary cleft palate (CLP); and cleft palate (CP). The clefts were grouped as cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL(P)) or as all clefts (including CP). All cases with discordance between prenatal and postnatal diagnoses were validated in the local patient files (Astraia). Cases without prenatal validation of the postnatal diagnosis were marked as undetected. Postnatally diagnosed cases with a strong prenatal suspicion of a cleft but without an International Classification of Diseases-10 code were registered as prenatally detected. Termination of pregnancy and intrauterine death were registered as true positives even if no autopsy could be performed. Liveborn cases with a prenatal diagnosis but without a postnatal validation were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 994 cases were included in the study, of which 933 were liveborn. The prevalence of orofacial cleft was 1.6 per 1000 live births. There were no differences in the baseline characteristics between detected and undetected cases. The DR for CL(P) was 71.7% (95% CI, 64.8-78.9%), with an increase from 60.0% in 2009 to 73.0% in 2018 (P = 0.018). The type-specific DRs for the entire period were 56.4% (95% CI, 45.0-67.6%) for unilateral CL; 76.6% (95% CI, 71.7-82.9%) for unilateral CLP; 70.5% (95% CI, 52.1-87.6%) for bilateral CL; 82.3% (95% CI, 70.6-93.6%) for bilateral CLP; 0% (0/6) for median CL; 75.0% (3/4) for median CLP; and 3.3% (95% CI, 0.6-5.7%) for CP. A total of 20.9% (208/994) of the cases had associated findings, of which 33.2% (69/208) were genetic aberrations.

CONCLUSIONS

The DR for CL(P) has improved in Denmark over the last decade. The DR for CLP is high, with the highest DR for bilateral CLP. However, prenatal detection of CP remains a challenge. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

A Rare Dichorionic Triamniotic Triplet Pregnancy with Spontaneous Twin Anemia-Polycythemia Sequence between Two Dichorionic Fetuses

INTRODUCTION

This report presents a rare case of spontaneous twin anemia-polycythemia sequence (TAPS) between two dichorionic fetuses in a spontaneous, homozygotic, dichorionic, triamniotic, triplet pregnancy treated with multiple intrauterine blood transfusions (IUTs) and partial exchange transfusions (PETs).

CASE PRESENTATION

The pregnancy was diagnosed with stage IV TAPS at gestational week 25+1. The patient was treated with laser surgery combined with multiple IUTs and PETs. The triplets were delivered at a planned caesarean section at gestational week 28+1 with postnatal hemoglobin values of 18.21, 26.43, and 11.92 g/dL in triplet 1, 2, and 3, respectively. At 4 years of age, triplet 1 is considered healthy, triplet 2 is diagnosed with mild mental retardation, and triplet 3 with profound mental retardation and dystonic cerebral palsy.

DISCUSSION

This is an extremely rare case of TAPS between dichorionic fetuses in a triplet pregnancy, and routine surveillance with measurement of middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity in dichorionic pregnancies may contribute to the detection of similar cases in the future. Furthermore, this case contributes with rare long-term follow-up data of children treated for high-stage TAPS with multiple IUTs and PETs.

Neurodevelopmental disorder in children believed to have isolated mild ventriculomegaly prenatally

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of specific neurodevelopmental disorders in children believed to have isolated mild ventriculomegaly (IMV) prenatally in the second trimester of pregnancy, in order to optimize the counseling process.

METHODS

This was a nationwide registry-based study including all singleton pregnancies that had first- and second-trimester ultrasound scans in the period 1^st January 2008 to 1^st October 2014, identified in the Danish Fetal Medicine Database and local clinical databases in Denmark. All fetuses diagnosed prenatally with IMV (measurement of the atrium of the lateral ventricles, 10.0-15.0 mm) between 18 and 22 weeks' gestation were followed up in national patient registers until the age of 2-7 years. Information was obtained on the diagnoses of intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy and impaired psychomotor development. Neurodevelopmental disorders were compared between those with postnatally confirmed IMV and a reference population of children in the same age range.

RESULTS

Of a cohort of 292 046 fetuses, 133 were found to have apparent IMV on the second-trimester scan for fetal malformations. In 11 cases, long-term follow-up was not possible owing to termination of pregnancy, spontaneous miscarriage, neonatal death or loss to follow-up. Of the 122 liveborn children followed up until 2-7 years, 15 were identified as having an additional abnormality while 107 were confirmed postnatally to have IMV. Of these 107 children, the diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder was registered in six (5.6%), corresponding to an odds ratio of 2.64 (95% CI, 1.16-6.02), as compared with the reference population. The diagnoses were autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy and impaired psychomotor development. None of these 107 children was diagnosed with intellectual disability or cerebral palsy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show that a confirmed diagnosis of IMV was associated with an increased risk of a neurodevelopmental disorder, as compared with the reference population, but the absolute risk was low and there were no cases of intellectual disability or cerebral palsy. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A New Tool to Optimize the Prediction of Fetal Anemia?

INTRODUCTION

The false-positive rate in the prediction of fetal anemia is 10-15%. We investigated if a new, noninvasive MRI method used as a supplement to ultrasound could improve the prediction.

METHODS

Fetuses suspected of anemia and controls were scanned in a 1.5-tesla MRI scanner 1-4 times during pregnancy. Cases were scanned before and after intrauterine blood transfusion with a T1-mapping MRI sequence in a cross-section of the umbilical vein.

RESULTS

Inclusion of 8 cases and 11 controls resulted in 10 case scans (2 cases were included twice) and 33 control scans. In controls, the T1 relaxation time was 1,005-1,391 ms; in cases with severe anemia, 1,505-1,595 ms, moderate anemia 1,503-1,525 ms, and no/mild anemia 1,245-1,410 ms. After blood transfusions, values dropped to 1,123-1,288 ms. The mean value in moderate and severe anemic cases was 275 ms higher than in controls (95% CI 210-341 ms, p < 0.0001), and after blood transfusion it was comparable to controls (3 ms, 95% CI -62 to 68 ms, p = 0.934). A 1,450-ms cut-off would have identified all cases in need of blood transfusion with no false-positive cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate a potential for this new MRI method to improve the prediction of fetal anemia as a supplement to ultrasound.

Postponing Early intrauterine Transfusion with Intravenous immunoglobulin Treatment; the PETIT study on severe hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn

BACKGROUND

Intrauterine transfusion for severe alloimmunization in pregnancy performed <20 weeks' gestation is associated with a higher fetal death rate. Intravenous immunoglobulins may prevent hemolysis and could therefore be a noninvasive alternative for early transfusions.

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated whether maternal treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins defers the development of severe fetal anemia and its consequences in a retrospective cohort to which 12 fetal therapy centers contributed.

STUDY DESIGN

We included consecutive pregnancies of alloimmunized women with a history of severe hemolytic disease and by propensity analysis compared index pregnancies treated with intravenous immunoglobulins (n = 24) with pregnancies managed without intravenous immunoglobulins (n = 28).

RESULTS

In index pregnancies with intravenous immunoglobulin treatment, fetal anemia developed on average 15 days later compared to previous pregnancies (8% less often <20 weeks' gestation). In pregnancies without intravenous immunoglobulin treatment anemia developed 9 days earlier compared to previous pregnancies (10% more <20 weeks), an adjusted 4-day between-group difference in favor of the immunoglobulin group (95% confidence interval, -10 to +18; P = .564). In the subcohort in which immunoglobulin treatment was started <13 weeks, anemia developed 25 days later and 31% less <20 weeks' gestation (54% compared to 23%) than in the previous pregnancy. Fetal hydrops occurred in 4% of immunoglobulin-treated pregnancies and in 24% of those without intravenous immunoglobulin treatment (odds ratio, 0.03; 95% confidence interval, 0-0.5; P = .011). Exchange transfusions were given to 9% of neonates born from pregnancies with and in 37% without immunoglobulin treatment (odds ratio, 0.1; 95% confidence interval, 0-0.5; P = .009).

CONCLUSION

Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in mothers pregnant with a fetus at risk for hemolytic disease seems to have a potential clinically relevant, beneficial effect on the course and severity of the disease. Confirmation in a multicenter randomized trial is needed.