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Updated: May 29, 2026
Murine Fetal Echocardiography
Published on: February 15, 2013
Triple ultrasound markers including fetal cardiac activity are related to miscarriage risk
1University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio, USA. swimbae@hotmail.com
Objective:
To identify early ultrasound markers in pregnant patients that predict a favorable pregnancy outcome.
Design:
Retrospective case-control study.
Setting:
Infertility patients in fertility clinic.
Patient(S):
1051 women with early pregnancies conceived after fertility treatment.
Intervention(S):
None.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Ongoing pregnancy >20 weeks' gestation.
Result(S):
Ongoing pregnancy rate was 90.5% for those pregnancies having early fetal cardiac activity (odds ratio [OR] = 66.5). Gestational sac diameter ≥12 mm was associated with ongoing pregnancy rate of 91.9%. Small gestational sac diameter, <8 mm, was associated with high miscarriage rate, 85.3%. Ongoing pregnancy rates for yolk sac diameter <2 mm, 2-6 mm, and >6 mm were 20%, 89.2%, and 20%, respectively (OR = 33.1, 2-6 vs <2 mm; OR = 33.1, 2-6 vs >6 mm). Ongoing pregnancy rate was 94% when all three markers were present.
Conclusion(S):
On postconception days 33-36, gestational sac diameter ≥12 mm, yolk sac diameter 2-6 mm, and the presence of fetal cardiac activity were favorable markers.
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