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Published on: October 20, 2016
Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography to Detect Cardiac Toxicity in Children Who Received Anthracyclines During Pregnancy
Agustin Avilès1, Marìa-Jesus Nambo2, Judith Huerta-Guzmàn2
1Oncology Research Unit, Oncology Hospital National Medical Center, IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico.
Insights
Anthracyclines given during pregnancy showed no cardiac toxicity in children, according to speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) findings. This observational study suggests safe administration of these drugs for maternal benefit.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Pediatric Cardiology
Background:
- Anthracyclines administered during pregnancy pose a potential risk of fetal cardiac toxicity.
- Advancements in echocardiography enable earlier detection of cardiac damage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate fetal cardiac function in children exposed to anthracyclines in utero using speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE).
- To assess the long-term cardiac safety of maternal anthracycline treatment during pregnancy.
Main Methods:
- An observational study was conducted from 2009 to 2013.
- Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) was performed on children over 5 years old whose mothers received anthracyclines during pregnancy.
- A control group of siblings or cousins of similar age and gender was included for comparison.
Main Results:
- Ninety children met the study criteria.
- All echocardiographic parameters assessed by STE were normal in the exposed group.
- No significant differences in cardiac function were observed between children exposed to anthracyclines in utero and the control group.
Conclusions:
- Maternal anthracycline use during pregnancy did not result in detectable cardiac damage in newborns.
- Anthracyclines can be safely administered during pregnancy, offering benefits to the mother without evident cardiac toxicity in offspring.
Abstract:
Cardiac toxicities remain a possible risk to fetuses that received anthracyclines during pregnancy. The introduction of new echocardiographic techniques will improve the detection of early cardiac damage. Thus, we began a observational study using speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) in children who had received anthracyclines during pregnancy, including the first trimester. From 2009 to 2013, we performed STE on patients > 5 years old, whose mothers had received anthracyclines during pregnancy. Siblings or cousins of equivalent age and gender were used as the control group. A total of 90 children fulfilled the entry criteria. Our results with STE were normal in all echocardiography parameters and did not show any differences when compared with the findings from the control group. We consider that the use of anthracyclines during pregnancy does not produce cardiac damage in newborns and can be safely administered, because no cardiac toxicity was evident in these children and it is of benefit to the mother.
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