{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Impact of maternal body mass index (BMI) and the challenges of fetal echocardiography.
{Author}: Hunter L;Panagiotopoulou O;Mulholland J;Bannerman K;Young D;Anderson L;
{Journal}: Public Health
{Volume}: 233
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 May 31
{Factor}: 4.984
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.puhe.2024.04.020
{Abstract}: <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>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.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>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).<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>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).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>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.