MRS.HARITHA KUMARI.N, DR.ARUNA MUKHERJEE, DR.B.K.MATHUR
BACKGROUND: The growth of the embryonic and fetal heart is usually measured by ultrasonography in the first and early second trimesters of pregnancy. There is insufficient knowledge on the dimensional measurements of the heart in fetuses. OBJECTIVE: To define the average dimensions of the fetal heart at various stages of development.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The dimensions of fetal heart that is the antero-posterior length from the apex to the base of the heart and the transverse diameters, in the four chambered view were collected during routine obstetric ultrasonography of 100 healthy pregnant women at different gestational ages from 16 weeks to the end of pregnancy, in Mahatma Gandhi Mission’s Hospital, Kalamboli, and Navi Mumbai. From the listed results the average dimensions of fetal heart were evaluated. RE SULTS:A relative growth was seen along with the gestational age of the fetuses. There was a significant growth from age group 20-24 weeks and 32-36 weeks compared to rest of the gestational weeks. CONCLUSION:The present data could serve as a good source to investigate the cardiac changes during pregnancies with fetuses at risk of cardiac abnormalities
