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Usefulness of antenatal ultrasound fetal morphological assessments in the first and second trimester: a study at a single Japanese university hospital

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Abstract

Objective

To assess the usefulness of antenatal ultrasound examinations for detecting fetal morphological abnormalities in the first and second trimesters.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted at a single Japanese university hospital in the period from February 2011 to September 2013. Patients in whom ultrasound was attempted at both 11 to 13 + 6 and 18 to 20 + 6 weeks’ gestation and who were delivered at our hospital were enrolled. After delivery, neonatal congenital abnormalities were reviewed and compared with the ultrasound findings in the first and second trimesters.

Results

The subjects were 2028 singleton babies. Abnormal fetal morphological findings were found in the first trimester in 28 cases. In these patients, fetal anomalies detected as diagnostic findings were anencephaly (2 cases) and endocardial cushion defect (2 cases). Findings suggestive of fetal anomalies were observed in 24 cases in the first trimester. Twelve cases with ultrasound findings in the first trimester, including fetal edema, anencephaly, endocardial cushion defect, exhibited an abnormal chromosome after amniocentesis. Ultrasound findings in the first trimester disappeared until 18 weeks of gestation in eight cases, and they were preserved in three cases. Fetal anomalies were primarily noted in the second trimester in 10 cases. However, after delivery, morphological abnormalities were primarily observed in 18 cases.

Conclusion

Major congenital abnormalities were identified in the first trimester morphological assessment. We think the use of a combination of the first trimester ultrasound screening and the second trimester ultrasound scan for detecting fetal anomalies was effective.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Showa University School of Medicine, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-Ku, Tokyo, 142-8666, Japan

    Hiroko Takita, Junichi Hasegawa, Tatsuya Arakaki, Masamitsu Nakamura, Shoko Hamada, Mayumi Tokunaka, Tomohiro Oba, Ryu Matsuoka & Akihiko Sekizawa

Authors
  1. Hiroko Takita
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  2. Junichi Hasegawa
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  3. Tatsuya Arakaki
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  4. Masamitsu Nakamura
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  5. Shoko Hamada
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  6. Mayumi Tokunaka
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  7. Tomohiro Oba
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  8. Ryu Matsuoka
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  9. Akihiko Sekizawa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Junichi Hasegawa.

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Conflict of interest

There are no financial or other relations that could lead to a conflict of interest.

Ethical consideration

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008 (5). Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Cite this article

Takita, H., Hasegawa, J., Arakaki, T. et al. Usefulness of antenatal ultrasound fetal morphological assessments in the first and second trimester: a study at a single Japanese university hospital. J Med Ultrasonics 43, 57–62 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-015-0653-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-015-0653-1

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