Impact of maternal body mass index (BMI) and the challenges of fetal echocardiography

L. Hunter, O. Panagiotopoulou, J. Mulholland, K. Bannerman, D. Young, L. Anderson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Objectives
Fetal echocardiography is the gold standard modality to detect suspected congenital heart disease (CHD). Accurate diagnosis and subsequent prognosis is even more challenging in the presence of a raised maternal body mass index (BMI). This retrospective study aimed to gain insight into the prevalence of obesity within the cohort of patients referred for fetal echocardiography.

Study design/methods
Retrospective analysis of all pregnant patients referred to the Scottish National Fetal Cardiology Service between 2015 and 2021 due to a suspected fetal cardiac abnormality and examining the associated trends in maternal BMI and the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).

Results
BMI data were available for 962 (96.3%) of the 998 patients referred during the study period. Median BMI during the study period was 31. BMI range in the seven-year period was 16–63. There was no association between BMI group and year (P = 0.889). A median of 58% of patients referred were classified as overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2), and only 37% were reported to have a BMI within normal limits. Referral BMI was relatively consistent in the seven years with no dramatic increase in the obese categories. Mean BMI in SIMD 5 (lowest level of deprivation), was significantly lower (P = 0.001), than in SIMD 1 (highest deprivation).

Conclusions
People of child bearing age should be aware the potential limitations that a raised BMI may have upon diagnostic/screening accuracy impacting subsequent ability to provide accurate fetal cardiac diagnoses and prognostic fetal cardiac imaging.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)22-24
Number of pages3
JournalPublic health
Volume233
Early online date31 May 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Aug 2024

Keywords

  • obesity
  • fetal echocardiography
  • congenital heart disease

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