@Article{chd.12568,
AUTHOR = {Xinyan Li, Xiaoxia Qiu, Huan Huang, Yili Zhao, Xueqin Li, Meng Li, Xiaoxian Tian},
TITLE = {Fetal heart size measurements as new predictors of homozygous α-thalassemia-1 in mid-pregnancy},
JOURNAL = {Structural and Congenital Heart Disease},
VOLUME = {13},
YEAR = {2018},
NUMBER = {2},
PAGES = {282--287},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/schd/v13n2/38969},
ISSN = {3071-1738},
ABSTRACT = {<b>Objective:</b> To evaluate the efficacy of using fetal heart size measurements derived from axial
echocardiography to predict homozygous α-thalassemia-1.<br/>
<b>Design:</b> Prospective diagnostic study.<br/>
<b>Setting:</b> The carrier rate of α-thalassemia-1 (–/αα) in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
is approximately 15%. If both parents are carriers, the risk of homozygous a-thalassemia-1 in one
pregnancy is 25%.<br/>
<b>Patients:</b> Singleton mid-pregnancies at risk of homozygous α-thalassemia-1 were enrolled.<br/>
<b>Outcome Measures:</b> Fetal heart measurements, including heart diameter (HD), heart length (HL),
heart circumference (HC), and heart area (HA), were measured. The z-scores for these heart parameters were then calculated separately based on previously constructed z-score models. Finally, the
accuracy of these predictive variables was analyzed and compared to that achieved by cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis.<br/>
<b>Results:</b> A total of 214 singleton pregnancies were recruited. The discriminatory power of HA and
HD z-scores was better (z-test P< .01) while that of HC and HL z-scores was comparable to (z-test
P>.05) that of CTR. HD combined with HA z-scores had the highest sensitivity (100%), and the
specificity of HD and/or HA z-scores was 100%.<br/>
<b>Conclusion:</b> Fetal heart size measurements are novel, effective and noninvasive predictors of
homozygosity for α-thalassemia-1 in mid-pregnancy. The discriminatory power of HD and HA zscores was better than while that of HC and HL z-scores was comparable to that of CTR. Further
investigation is needed to understand the effectiveness of these predictors.},
DOI = {10.1111/chd.12568}
}