Abstract
Transient or acoustic radiation force elastography (ARFE) is becoming the most extended technology to assess cervical effacement, additionally to the Bishop test and conventional ultrasound. However, a debate on the fetal safety has been opened due to the high intensity focused beam emitted to produce shear waves. This work is aimed at providing preliminary data to assess clinical effects of fetal exposure. A follow-up study in newborns of 42 women exposed to ARFE during pregnancy was carried out to explore neonatal hypoacusia, Apgar test, and anthropometry. No hypoacusia cases attributable to ARFE were observed. The Apgar test at five minutes scored normally in all the newborns. Comparisons between anthropometric measurements showed no significant statistically differences. The results preclude to state the harmfulness nor the safety of ARFE. However, given the concern on the high level of energy and the potential risk of harmful bioeffects, larger studies are recommended.
Highlights
Quasi-static ultrasonic elastography techniques are increasing interest to assess the stiffness of cervical tissue during pregnancy [1,2,3,4,5]
We present the results of a follow-up study in the cohort of children born to 42 asymptomatic women exposed to acoustic radiation force elastography (ARFE) during pregnancy to assess neonatal hypoacusia, anthropometric measurements and Apgar test score
We focused on the cochlea as a possible target organ of damage, as well as anthropometric measurements and Apgar scores at birth, through a review of the results obtained in the screening test for hypoacusia and physical examination in the newborns
Summary
Quasi-static ultrasonic elastography techniques are increasing interest to assess the stiffness of cervical tissue during pregnancy [1,2,3,4,5]. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), fetal exposure to general ultrasound is limited to a maximum spatial peak pulse average intensity of 720 mW/cm and a maximum mechanical index of 1.9 [7,8]. Both time averages indices are not suited to assess the magnitude of mechanical energy intensity in peaks concentrated during a given interval of microseconds per Diagnostics 2020, 10, 967; doi:10.3390/diagnostics10110967 www.mdpi.com/journal/diagnostics
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