Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
08:04
Murine Fetal Echocardiography
Published on: February 15, 2013
Nuchal translucency and cardiac abnormalities in euploid singleton pregnancies
Alireza A Shamshirsaz1, Bahram Salmanian, Samadh F Ravangard
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Connecticut Health Center , Farmington, CT , USA .
Summary
Nuchal translucency (NT) is a weak predictor of abnormal cardiac findings (ACF) and congenital heart defects (CHD) in euploid fetuses. Increased NT warrants further cardiac investigation despite its limited predictive power.
Area of Science:
- Prenatal diagnosis
- Fetal cardiology
- Medical imaging
Background:
- Nuchal translucency (NT) measurement is a common screening tool in early pregnancy.
- Its utility in predicting later cardiac abnormalities in euploid fetuses requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate different nuchal translucency (NT) cut-off levels for predicting abnormal cardiac findings (ACF) on second-trimester ultrasound.
- To assess NT's effectiveness in identifying postnatal congenital heart defects (CHD) in euploid pregnancies.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 8541 euploid singleton pregnancies from 2006-2011.
- Analysis of NT thickness to predict ACF on second-trimester ultrasound and confirmed CHD.
- Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate predictive performance.
Main Results:
- A higher mean NT thickness was observed in fetuses with ACFs (p < 0.0001).
- The area under the ROC curves for NT predicting ACF and CHD were 0.67 and 0.65, respectively.
- Of 33 fetuses with ACFs, 17 (52%) had major CHDs.
Conclusions:
- Increased nuchal translucency (NT) is associated with a higher risk of abnormal cardiac findings (ACF).
- NT is a weak predictor for ACF and major congenital heart defects (CHD).
- Fetuses with unexplained increased NT should undergo further cardiac evaluation.
