EP09.83: Clinical value of the two‐dimensional speckle tracking technique for evaluating cardiac size remodelling in small‐for‐gestational age fetuses

To analyse the fetal cardiac size by the two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) and to explore the quantification of cardiac size remodelling in the small-for-gestational age (SGA) fetuses. Prospective collection of singleton pregnancies at 28 to 39 weeks of gestation. The length, width (24 segments), and area of the four-chamber view and two ventricles were measured and calculated using STE in 453 low-risk and 210 SGA fetuses. After normalization for estimated fetal weight, the four-chamber view and right ventricular (RV) width and area were greater in SGA fetuses with normal umbilical arteries (UA) than in low-risk fetuses, P < 0.05. The top three ratios of cardiac size parameters >95th% in SGA fetuses with normal UA were at least one segment of the 24 segments of RV width (35.0%), the mid segment of RV width (22.9%), and four-chamber view width (19.7%), which were greater than those of low-risk fetuses, all P < 0.05. 1/3 of SGA fetuses present with an abnormal enlargement of the RV width (predominantly in the mid) earlier than the UA.