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Updated: Oct 30, 2025
High Frequency Ultrasound for the Analysis of Fetal and Placental Development In Vivo
Published on: November 8, 2018
Fetal micrognathia in the first trimester: An ominous finding even after a normal array
Li Zhen1, Yan-Dong Yang2, Li-Li Xu1
1Prenatal Diagnostic Centre, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Centre affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Objective:
To evaluate the prognosis of fetuses with a prenatal diagnosis of micrognathia in the first trimester.
Study Design:
Over a 3-year period, patients with fetal micrognathia were detected at the time of nuchal translucency screening. The medical records of these pregnancies were reviewed, including maternal demographics, sonographic findings, genetic testing results and pregnancy outcomes.
Results:
Forty-three cases of first-trimester micrognathia were included in this study. Chromosomal abnormalities were detected in seven cases. Of the fetuses with a normal array, further investigation of monogenic disorders with whole-exome sequencing was undertaken in 13 cases. Monogenic syndromes were identified in eight cases, including six with de-novo dominant alleles and two with recessive conditions. Whole-exome sequencing was refused in 23 cases; among these, other additional anomalies were found on anatomic ultrasound in 10 cases.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrated that caution should be adopted when finding an apparently isolated micrognathia in early gestation, even with a normal array. A diagnosis of genetic syndrome or multiple anomalies on subsequent scans is most likely, and will affect the final prognosis.
