Association between fetal myocardial performance index and fetal heart rate monitoring: a prospective observational cohort study

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate whether the left myocardial performance index (MPI) changes in association with the fetal heart rate (FHR) tracing during labor.

Study design

Women with term, singleton pregnancies, in labor were recruited to this prospective cohort study. Primary outcome: difference in left MPI between Category of fetal heart rate tracings. Secondary outcomes: differences in left MPI by FHR characteristics. Participants underwent ultrasound examination, during which fetal MPI was measured.

Results

Twenty-four laboring patients were recruited. There were 13 patients with Category I FHR, 11 patients with Category II FHR, and 0 patients with Category III FHR. Demographics were similar between the groups. MPI was not significantly different between fetuses with Category I or Category II FHR (0.67 versus 0.65, p = .385). MPI was significantly higher in fetuses with accelerations versus those without (0.71 versus 0.59, p = .045). MPI was not significantly different for fetuses with or without decelerations (0.65 versus 0.68, p = .350), between deceleration type (0.50 versus 0.64 versus, 0.75, p = .421), or between variability type (0.56 versus 0.68, p = .113).

Conclusions

MPI of fetuses in term, laboring patients did not vary with differing FHR characteristics except for the presence or absence of accelerations.

Keywords:

• Myocardial Performance Index
• Tei Index
• fetal echocardiography
• labor
• ultrasound
• fetal heart rate category

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.