Fetal Echocardiography Indications and Lack of Association between Abnormal Exams and Advanced Maternal Age: A Cross-Sectional Study - Fetal Abnormal Echocardiography.

Objective:  To analyze the most frequent referrals for fetal echocardiography, including advanced maternal age and its association with abnormal results.

Methods:  We included all pregnant women referred to perform fetal echocardiography (gestational age 22-32 weeks) in 2 health centers in Rio de Janeiro, from June 2015 to June 2016. Advanced maternal age was considered when age was > 35 years at the time of delivery). Referral reasons and results were recorded, according to the Brazilian Fetal Cardiology Statement. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were calculated (Poisson regression). We considered  < 0.05 as significant.

Results:  A total of 1,221 tests were analyzed. Abnormal fetal echocardiography was observed in 14.82% of the cases. The most frequent abnormalities were interventricular septal defect (6.39%), septal hypertrophy (3.35%) and atrioventricular septal defect (1.14%). Routine exams were performed in 559 women, 289 were referred for advanced maternal age and 373 were referred according to the Brazilian Fetal Cardiology Statement criteria. An obstetric ultrasound suggesting fetal cardiac abnormality, maternal diabetes, increased nuchal translucency, and obstetric ultrasound suggesting a noncardiac abnormality were strongly associated with an abnormal fetal echocardiography. Abnormal results were not more frequent in women with advanced maternal age when compared with the rest of the study group.

Conclusions:  It was observed that routine exams and advanced maternal age referrals were very frequent. Those exams were not associated to fetal echocardiography abnormalities. In this scenario, when the obstetric ultrasound suggests a fetal cardiac abnormality, the fetal echocardiography probably is abnormal. Therefore, obstetric ultrasound is a good screening method.