Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2026
Use of a Multi-compartment Dynamic Single Enzyme Phantom for Studies of Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance Agents
Published on: April 15, 2016
Detection of fetal lactate with two-dimensional-localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Julian N Robinson1, Jane Cleary-Goldman, Fernando Arias-Mendoza
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, New York, USA. JNRobinson@partners.org
Background:
Antenatal surveillance is inefficient for accurately detecting fetal compromise. A noninvasive technique for assessing fetal metabolic status would be useful for clinical management.
Case:
Fetal magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed at 20 weeks in a pregnancy complicated by severe intrauterine growth restriction to determine if lactate, a metabolite associated with fetal hypoxia, was present. Two-dimensional, single-slice proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was carried out at 1.5 T using a volume-selective, double-spin echo technique. Lactate was detected in fetal back muscle. Fetal death occurred the next day.
Conclusions:
Although this initial report is purely experimental, further development of this technique may prove to be a valuable noninvasive tool in the management of suspected fetal hypoxia.
