Value of ultrasonic measurement of fetal fetal nuchal translucency thickness in early pregnancy and its relationship with adverse pregnancy outcomes

  Objective  To explore the value of ultrasonic measurement of fetal nuchal translucency (NT) thickness in early pregnancy and its relationship with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

  Methods  A total of 300 singleton pregnant women who received NT measurement in early pregnancy and kept complete pregnancy follow-up data in department of ultrasound were selected as study objects. The pregnant women were divided into control group (NT < 2.50 mm, n=254) and study group (NT ≥ 2.50 mm, n=46) according to NT measurement value. Adverse pregnancy outcomes such as fetal chromosomal abnormalities, structural abnormalities, cystic lymphangioma and embryonic arrest were compared between the two groups.

  Results  In the control group, there were 2 cases of embryonic arrest (including 1 case of chromosomal abnormality) during pregnancy, and 1 case of cystic lymphangioma (accompanying with chromosomal abnormality) detected by ultrasonography in the second trimester of pregnancy. The adverse pregnancy outcome rate was 1.18%(3/254). In the study group, there were 3 cases of induced labor in early pregnancy (including 1 case of chromosomal abnormality), 4 cases of embryonic arrest (including 2 cases of chromosomal abnormality), 17 cases of induced labor in mid pregnancy, including 12 cases of severe structural malformation (6 cases with chromosomal abnormality) and 5 cases of aquacystic lymphoma (2 cases with chromosomal abnormality), and 1 case of postnatal aquacystic lymphoma. The adverse pregnancy outcome rate was 54.35% (25/46), and the chromosomal abnormality rate was 23.91%(11/46). The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome in the study group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The pregnant women in the study group were further divided into two groups according to NT median value, and the adverse pregnancy outcome rate of NT>4.02 mm group was 69.57%, which was higher than 39.13% of 2.5 to 4.02 mm group (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  NT value measured by ultrasound in the first trimester of pregnancy is closely related to adverse pregnancy outcomes, which has important value in guiding prenatal diagnosis, prenatal counseling and scientific pregnancy.