Is fetal cardiac function gender dependent?
Prenat Diagn
; 31(6): 536-42, 2011 Jun.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21413043
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
An increased nuchal translucency (NT) is more common in males. A delayed diastolic cardiac function maturation has been proposed to explain this and the reported gender-related differences in ductus venosus (DV) flow.OBJECTIVE:
To investigate gender-related differences in fetal cardiac function.METHODS:
One hundred and ninety karyotypically/phenotypically normal fetuses with structurally normal hearts and known NT measurement, (104 > 95th percentile), were prospectively included between 1 October 2003 and 1 April 2009. They had been referred for fetal echocardiography. Three hundred and nine echocardiograms were performed between 11 and 35 weeks' gestation. The atrioventricular valve E- and A-wave peak velocity, E/A-velocity ratio and E/TVI ratio, myocardial performance index, semilunar valves acceleration time (AT) and peak velocity, stroke volume and cardiac output as well as DV pulsatility index for veins at 11-14 weeks' gestation, were measured. A multilevel analysis was performed using the NT (multiples of the median) as a continuous variable.RESULTS:
The male female ratio was 1.561. The tricuspid valve E/TVI was significantly higher and pulmonary valve AT significantly lower in females compared to males. No other significant differences in cardiac function were found.CONCLUSIONS:
Our findings suggest better right ventricular (RV) relaxation and increased RV afterload in female fetuses, independent of NT thickness, between 11 and 35 weeks' gestation.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Caracteres Sexuales
/
Corazón Fetal
/
Feto
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Evaluation_studies
Aspecto:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Límite:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Pregnancy
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Prenat Diagn
Año:
2011
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Países Bajos