| Abstract: | Fetal heart motion was observed by T-M-mode echocardiography from the twelfth to fortieth week of gestation in 47 apparently normal pregnancies. In the earliest case (at 12 weeks), cardiac pulsations were recorded in a fetus in which the heart sounds couldnot be detected by Doppler ultrasound. The left and right ventricular dimensionsand left-to-right ventricular ratios were determined in 24 of the 35 fetuses in which high-quality images were obtained. Interventricular septal motion was evaluated in 30 of these 35 fetuses. Potential clinical applications of echocardiography in evaluating fetal status are also presented. |
