Fetal cardiac function at midgestation and conception by in-vitro fertilization.

OBJECTIVE

To assess differences in cardiac morphology and function at midgestation in fetuses conceived by in-vitro fertilization (IVF), using fresh or frozen embryo transfer, compared with those conceived naturally.

METHODS

This was a prospective study of 5801 women with a singleton pregnancy attending for a routine ultrasound examination at 19 + 0 to 23 + 6 weeks' gestation, including 343 that conceived by IVF. Conventional and more advanced echocardiographic modalities, including speckle-tracking analysis, were used to assess fetal cardiac function in the right and left ventricles. The morphology of the fetal heart was assessed by calculating the right and left sphericity index. Placental perfusion and function were assessed by measurement of uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) and serum placental growth factor (PlGF), respectively.

RESULTS

Fetuses that were conceived by IVF, compared with those conceived spontaneously, had significantly lower right and left ventricular sphericity index, higher left ventricular global longitudinal strain and lower left ventricular ejection fraction. There were no significant differences in any of the cardiac indices within the IVF group between the fresh and frozen embryo transfers. In the IVF group, compared with spontaneously conceived pregnancies, UtA-PI was lower and PlGF was higher, suggesting better placental perfusion and function.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates that, in IVF pregnancies, compared with those conceived spontaneously, there is evidence of fetal cardiac remodeling at midgestation, which is not related to the use of fresh or frozen embryo transfer. In the IVF group, compared with naturally conceived pregnancies, fetal heart was globular and left ventricular systolic function was mildly reduced. Whether these cardiac changes are accentuated later in pregnancy and remain in the postnatal period remains to be established. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.