Fetal Electrophysiologic Abnormalities in High-Risk Pregnancies Associated With Fetal Demise

Medical College of Wisconsin200 enrolled

Overview

Each year world-wide, 2.5 million fetuses die unexpectedly in the last half of pregnancy, 25,000 in the United States, making fetal demise ten-times more common than Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This study will apply a novel type of non-invasive monitoring, called fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG) used thus far to successfully evaluate fetal arrhythmias, in order to discover potential hidden electrophysiologic abnormalities that could lead to fetal demise in five high-risk pregnancy conditions associated with fetal demise.

Fetal demise occurs in over 25,000 pregnancies annually in the US and over 2.5 million in pregnancies worldwide. Certain maternal-fetal-placental abnormalities can have a high risk of fetal demise. Despite advances in fetal surveillance with ultrasound and cardiotocography, the reduction in fetal mortality lags behind that of the neonate and has shown little decline in the past decade. This suggests that the type of fetal monitoring used may not be assessing the correct indicators of mortality. In all other age groups, electrocardiographic (ECG) and continuous heart rate (HR) monitoring are used in every intensive care unit or emergency setting; however, for the fetus, the ECG signal is nearly completely insulated and inaccessible. As the result, indirect assessment of cardiac rhythm is obtained using echocardiography/Doppler, but echo/Doppler does not have the precision to assess beat-to-beat HR variability and cannot assess cardiac repolarization at all. In this study, the investigators will evaluate five high risk conditions (major congenital heart disease in the fetus, fetal hydrops (immune and non-immune), monochorionic twin pregnancy, prior pregnancy ending in fetal demise, and gastroschisis) using Fetal Magnetocardiography (fMCG)which detects the natural magnetic signals accompanying the cardiac electrical signal. It is a new, safe, and non-invasive recording technique that has been performed for several decades, and has recently gained FDA approval for recording cardiac signals at all ages, including in the fetus. Normative data has been obtained at the University of Wisconsin - Madison Biomagnetism Laboratory in 257 healthy fetuses by co-investigator Ronald T. Wakai, PhD. Over 550 serious fetal arrhythmias have been evaluated to date. Fetal MCG has proven invaluable in fetal Long QT Syndrome in identifying markers for risk of sudden death such as Torsades de Pointes Ventricular Tachycardia (VT), T wave alternans, 2nd degree AV block, and QTc\>590 ms. To date, fMCG has not been systematically applied to diseases that are not associated with recognizable arrhythmias because the impact of silent conduction and repolarization defects has been underappreciated. In this grant, the investigators hypothesize that beat-to-beat fetal heart rate variability abnormalities and electrophysiologic abnormalities, are present in five high risk maternal-fetal-placental conditions associated with fetal demise. The study will determine which electrophysiologic abnormalities precede fetal demise or adverse pregnancy outcome. Preliminary findings in healthy normal subjects in RO1HL063174 (Wakai) show repolarization abnormalities in up to 5%, and some of these are modifiable once recognized. Two hundred pregnant subjects will be studied over a 5 year period both at referral (\~20-27 weeks GA) and later in pregnancy at 30-37 weeks GA. fMCG results will be compared to neonatal ECG (nECG) obtained at 0-4 weeks of life. This will determine whether specific abnormal heart rate, rhythm and conduction patterns emerge that characterize the condition, which will then allow the high risk obstetrician to better predict risk of fetal demise in the future.

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Current pregnancy complicated by one of the five diagnostic categories * prior unexplained Stillbirth at/after 20 weeks gestation * fetal major congenital heart defect * fetal hydrops * fetal gastroschisis * monochorionic twin pregnancy * Subject must be 18 years of age or older * Subject must be English speaking and must be able to read and sign the consent form in English * Subject must be able to recline comfortably for 1-3 hours * Subject must be willing to complete all three procedures (fMCG, fMCG, nECG) as per protocol, unless medically unable * Subject must be willing to allow us to review her and her infants prenatal, deliver, and post-natal records to verify diagnosis, and clinical findings. Exclusion Criteria: * Severe claustrophobia not reduced by taking breaks, or by having the light on, or by having someone in the room with them. * Active labor * Acute illness * Unable to recline comfortably with a pillow for more than 1-3 hours (assuming some breaks are provided) * Weight over 450 lbs * An electric stimulation device (TENS unit, pacemaker, or nerve stimulator) that could produce electric or magnetic noise. * Note that the Tristan 624 Magnetometer does not pose a risk to the subject's device, (since fMCG does not produce any energy or magnetism), but stimulators themselves can cause interference for our recordings. Some devices may still qualify, and discussion with study nurse may be useful if subject has a pacemaker or similar device. The subject will have a single 2-3 hour fetal magnetocardiogram at approximately 20 and 27 weeks GA, and again, if medical condition allows, between 30 and 37 weeks GA, then her infant will have an ECG between 0 and 4 weeks of age. Subjects will be paid a nominal fee for their participation each time, as well as transportation reimbursement if \>25 miles. For subjects traveling a long distance, the ECG may be performed locally or at home.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Heart rate variability using fMCG

To measure and compare the fMCG heart rate variability in five pregnancy conditions associated with fetal demise, to those of gestation matched normal fetuses.

Time frame: Comparison of procedures at approximately 20-27 weeks gestation, at 30-37 weeks gestation, and at neonatal ECG at 0-4 weeks of age

Cardiac conduction

To measure and compare the fMCG cardiac time intervals in five pregnancy conditions associated with fetal demise, to those of gestation matched normal fetuses and to neonatal ECGs at 0-4 weeks of age.

Time frame: Comparison of cardiac time intervals at approximately 20-27 weeks gestation, 30-37 weeks gestation and at neonatal ECG at 0-4 weeks of age

Cardiac repolarization

To measure and compare the fMCG cardiac repolarization patterns in five pregnancy conditions associated with fetal demise, to those of gestation matched normal fetuses, and to neonatal ECGs at 0-4 weeks of age.

Time frame: Comparison of cardiac repolarization at approximately 20-27 weeks gestation, 30-37 weeks gestation and neonatal ECG at 0-4 weeks of age.

Secondary Outcomes

Unique "signature" electrophysiologic abnormalities

2a) To determine whether unique "signature" electrophysiologic abnormalities are present in any of these five maternal-fetal diseases, and 2b) to define at what trimester these develop. Understanding any unique findings could allow study of specific treatment strategies in the future. findings are first seen.

Time frame: Comparison of findings at approximately 20-27 weeks gestation, 30-37 weeks gestation and neonatal ECG at 0-4 weeks of age

Pregnancy outcomes

To correlate fMCG findings with 3a) outcomes of pregnancies (fetal demise, premature delivery, small for GA, 5 minute APGAR \< 5, neonatal death) and 3b) fMCG cardiac time intervals with postnatal ECG intervals at 0-4 weeks of age.

Time frame: Comparison of findings at approximately 20-27 weeks gestation, 30-37 weeks gestation and neonatal ECG at 0-4 weeks of age

Fetal Electrophysiologic Abnormalities in High-Risk Pregnancies Associated With Fetal Demise

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (2)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes

Central Contacts