Fetal Growth and Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Congenital Heart Disease

We evaluated differences in growth between fetuses with and without congenital heart disease (CHD) and tested associations between growth and early childhood neurodevelopment (ND). In this prospective cohort study, fetuses with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), transposition of the great arteries (TGA), and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and controls had biparietal diameter (BPD), head (HC) and abdominal circumference (AC), femur length (FL), and estimated fetal weight (EFW) recorded serially during pregnancy at 18-26 weeks GA (F1), at 27-33 weeks GA (F2), and at 34-40 weeks GA (F3). CHD subjects underwent Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III ND testing at 18 months. Differences between CHD fetuses and controls were assessed using t tests and generalized linear modeling. Correlations between biometry and ND informed regression modeling. We enrolled 41 controls and 68 fetuses with CHD (N = 24 HLHS, N = 21 TGA, N = 23 TOF), 46 of whom had ND scores available. At 18-26 weeks, CHD fetuses were smaller than controls in all biometric parameters. Differences in growth rates were observed for HC, BPD, and AC, but not for FL or EFW. Cognitive score correlated with HC/AC at F2 (r = -0.33, P = 0.04) and mean HC/AC across gestation (r = -0.35, P = 0.03). Language correlated with FL/BPD at F2 (r = 0.34, P = 0.04). In stepwise linear regression, mean HC/AC predicted Cognition (B = -102, P = 0.026, R (2) = 0.13) and FL/BPD at F2 predicted Language score (B = 127, P = 0.03, R (2) = 0.12). Differences in growth between CHD fetuses and controls can be measured early in pregnancy. In CHD fetuses, larger abdominal relative to head circumference is associated with better 18-month neurodevelopment.