OC02.01: Impact of live 4D ultrasound volume rate on recognition of fetal cardiac structures in reformatted 2D views

Abstract

neonatal neurobehaviour. Since the optic nerve is a part of the central nervous system, the retinal nerve fiber layer may be a good biomarker of axonal loss. Our aim was to evaluate both cognitive outcome and the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, in five-year-old children who had been small-for-gestational age (SGA) term fetuses with normal UA. Methods: The Weschler preschool and primary scale of intelligence (WPPSI-III) and a complete ophthalmic examination that included visual acuity and optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed at age 5 years in a cohort of previous SGA term fetuses with normal umbilical artery Doppler. A control cohort of appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) infants was created and matched by gestational age and sex. WIPPSI IQ results were considered abnormal as a score below the first quartile. T-Student test and χ2 were used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 43 children (21 SGA and 22 AGA) were included. Mean birth weight and gestational age was 2280 g and 38.3 weeks respectively among SGA fetuses. No differences were found for visual acuity, social or demographic variables between both groups. SGA fetuses showed statistically significantly lower mean RNFL thickness (98.9 μ versus 105.7 μ; P < 0.05). The proportion of infants with abnormal WIPPSI Verbal IQ was also significantly higher in the SGA group (41.7% versus 13.3%; P < 0.05). Conclusions: Five-year-old children who had been term small-forgestational age fetuses with normal umbilical artery present an increase risk for abnormal WPSSI Verbal IQ as well as decreased RNFL thickness. Axonal loss in the optic nerve of these children shows a neurological damage, which could indicate a sign of subclinical injury of the central nervous system.