Interventricular septal thickness as a diagnostic marker of fetal macrosomia

Abstract

Serious complications in both mother and newborn arising as a result of fetal macrosomia indicate the need for early diagnosis and prevention. Unfortunately, current predictors, such as fetal biometry, fundal height, and amniotic fluid index, appear to be insufficient. Therefore, we decided to assess the predictive potential of interventricular septal thickness (IVST), as measured at ≥33 weeks of gestation. Two hundred and ninety-nine patients met the inclusion criteria: complete medical history including all necessary measurements—namely, IVST obtained by M-mode echocardiography, fetal biometry, and birth weight. The Statistica 13.1 PL software was used to generate the receiver operating curve. The optimal cut-off point (IVST of 4.7 mm) was selected using the Youden index method. The analysis of fetal biometry abnormalities resulted in 46.6% of macrosomia cases being correctly predicted; however, IVST analysis detected 71.4% of cases. IVST at ≥4.7 mm appears to have a higher sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) than routine ultrasound.