INCREASED FETAL NUCHAL TRANSLUCENCY THICKNESS AT 10-14 WEEKS - IS SCREENING FOR MATERNAL-FETAL INFECTION NECESSARY

Objective To investigate the relation between increased fetal nuchal t ranslucency thickness at 10-14 weeks of gestation and maternal-fetal i nfection. Design Prospective study. Setting Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine. Population Four hundred and twenty-six chr omosomally normal pregnancies with increased fetal nuchal translucency thickness at 10-14 weeks of gestation and 63 with 'unexplained' secon d or third trimester fetal nuchal oedema or hydrops.Methods Maternal s erum infection screening and investigations for fetal infection-in tho se with evidence of recent maternal infection. Main outcome measures M aternal and fetal infection. Results Evidence of recent maternal infec tion was present in six of the 426 pregnancies (1.4%) with increased f etal nuchal translucency thickness at 10-14 weeks, but in all cases a healthy infant was born with no evidence of infection. In contrast, 'u nexplained' second or third-trimester fetal hydrops was associated wit h maternal infection in six of the pregnancies (9.5%) and in all cases there was evidence of fetal infection. Conclusions Maternal-fetal inf ection is one of the causes of second or third trimester nuchal oedema or fetal hydrops. In contrast, the presence of increased nuchal trans lucency in the first trimester is not a marker of either maternal or f etal infection.