CHICAGO -- Researchers suggest that a Doppler ultrasound during pregnancy could help detect the risk of miscarriage.
The study, presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, found that the Doppler ultrasound performed in early pregnancy can accurately identify embryonic congestive heart failure, which researchers linked to about 40 percent of miscarriages.
By inserting a probe into the vagina, researchers performed ultrasounds on 1,530 pregnant women early in their first trimester. Using high-resolution ultrasound imaging and highly sensitive Doppler, the researchers identified, for the first time, congestive heart failure in embryos.
Dr. Jason C. Birnholz, president of Diagnostic Ultrasound Consultants in Oak Brook, Ill., said that a lack of oxygen to the heart causes embryonic congestive heart failure and the Doppler technology can identify the symptoms.
"The chances the pregnancy will continue are very high, about 95 percent, when Doppler ultrasound confirms normal embryonic heart function at six weeks," said Birnholz, who led the research. "Over 99 percent of pregnancies with an abnormal Doppler pattern do not continue."
According to Birnholz, the Doppler test measures the speed of red blood cells moving through vessels to determine pressure dynamics within the embryo's heart. The test is similar to Doppler radar measuring the speed of wind and other weather elements.
Miscarriage is the most common complication of human gestation, occurring in approximately 20 percent of recognized pregnancies, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Compared to conventional ultrasounds, Birnholz said the Doppler technology is more accurate. He said that embryonic congestive heart failure may be treated in the future by providing supplemental oxygen to an expectant mother during the critical time of development.
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