Fetal echogenic bowel: Is there a national consensus on identification and reporting?

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Obstetrics
• Fetal Medicine

Background:

• The Saving Babies' Lives Care Bundle Version 2 emphasizes accurate identification and reporting of echogenic bowel for better maternal and newborn outcomes.
• Currently, no national consensus exists to guide sonographers in identifying and reporting fetal echogenic bowel.
• This lack of standardization can impact the consistency and quality of prenatal screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a national consensus for sonographers on identifying, classifying, and reporting fetal echogenic bowel.
• To establish clear guidelines for the second-trimester anomaly scan within the Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme (FASP).
• To address the current disparities in sonographer practice regarding fetal echogenic bowel.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase study was conducted, with Phase 1 focusing on current national practices.
• An online questionnaire survey collected numerical and free-text data from participants.
• Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis, with recruitment via social media and professional networks.

Main Results:

• 95 sonographers completed the survey over 11 weeks.
• Common practice involved subjective identification of echogenic bowel by comparing it to fetal bone, though methods varied.
• Significant disparities were noted in the fetal bone used for comparison and transducer frequencies employed.
• Confirmation of echogenic bowel occurred at the 20-week scan (58%), fetal medicine review (32%), or was uncertain (10%).

Conclusions:

• Disparities persist in sonographer practices for identifying and reporting fetal echogenic bowel across England's national screening service.
• This study provides essential baseline data to inform the development of standardized guidance for sonographers.
• Establishing clear guidelines is crucial for consistent and accurate identification and reporting of fetal echogenic bowel.