Umbilical Cord Blood Biochemical Cardiac Markers and Fetal Cardiac Function in Cases of IUGR

To evaluate umbilical cord blood creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), troponin T (TnT-hs), pro-brain natriuretic peptide (proBNP), ischaemia modified albumin (IMA) levels and fetal cardiac function in intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). The study included 39 pregnant women with IUGR and 42 healthy pregnant women in control group. IUGR was diagnosed when estimated fetal weight was < 10 percentile. Fetal cardiac function was evaluated by ultrasound in the third trimester of pregnancy and compared with the control group. Umbilical cord blood biochemical test (CK-MB, TnT-hs, proBNP, IMA) results compared between the groups. In cardiac morphological evaluation, cardiothoracic index was higher, and the left sphericity index was lower in the IUGR group compared to the control group (p < 0.001, p = 0,018). Left myocardial performance index (MPI) was higher, and tricuspid and mitral annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE and MAPSE) values were lower in the IUGR group than the control group (p = 0.035, p = 0.038 and p = 0.011 respectively). In IUGR group, only proBNP levels were increased compare to the control group in umbilical cord blood biochemical tests (p = 0.018). There was negative correalation between umbilical cord blood proBNP levels and MAPSE value (r = − 0,332, p = 0,002). We observed that IUGR was associated with fetal cardiac morphological changes and systolic dysfunction. Also, in IUGR group cord, blood proBNP level was increased and negatively correlated with MAPSE value.