Y. Chavkin et al., SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF IDIOPATHIC NONIMMUNE HYDROPS-FETALIS TREATED BYMATERNAL DIGOXIN, Gynecologic and obstetric investigation, 42(2), 1996, pp. 137-139
Nonimmune hydrops fetalis (NIHF), occurring in 1 in 2,500-3,000 live b
irths, has a reported mortality rate of 50-98%. A similar mortality ra
te for intrauterine death of fetuses with NIHF probably exists. Many f
etal pathological entities have been implicated as causing the conditi
on, but to date, treatment has only been found for cases of fetal tach
ycardia complicated with hydrops. During a routine ultrasonographic su
rvey of a woman at 32 weeks of gestation, we detected a fetus with sev
ere ascites. There was no apparent etiology, and although no tachycard
ia was evident, low dosage transplacental digoxin therapy was immediat
ely initiated. The hydropic condition completely resolved within 17 da
ys, and at 39 weeks of gestation, a perfectly normal baby was born aft
er a spontaneous and uneventful labor. This is the first report of suc
cessful treatment of idiopathic NIHF with maternal digoxin.