Is the nuchal index increased in fetuses with congenital structural heart defects?

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To determine if the Nuchal index (NIx) is increased in euploid fetuses with structural congenital heart defects (CHD). METHODS: Euploid fetuses with CHD between 18 and 24 weeks gestation were identified. The next fetus meeting the same criteria with a normal fetal echocardiogram were selected as a control. The NIx [(mean nuchal thickness /mean biparietal diameter) x 100] and cardiac axis (CA; degrees) were calculated for each fetus. Standard descriptive tests and two-tailed t test were used. RESULTS: The NIx in the abnormal (n = 20) and control (n = 20) groups were 9.10 (2.35) and 7.54 (p = 0.04) and CA was 55.8 degrees and 48.6 degrees (p = 0.02), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The NIx and CA were significantly different in fetuses with CHD. A prospective study to confirm these findings and determine clinical utility is warranted.