Objective To evaluate the pregnancy outcomes and neurodevelopment prognosis of subjects prenatally diagnosed with fetal ventriculomegaly (VM).
Methods All the subjects with VM diagnosed by ultrasound and were admitted and treated at West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University between March 2011 and September 2020 were retrospectively enrolled for a chohort study, while non-VM subjects of the same period were selected with a random number table to form the control group. Pregnancy outcomes of the two groups were compared, and the fetuses of both groups were followed up after birth for further assessment and comparison of their neurodevelopmental prognosis.
Results The live birth rate of the VM group was lower than that of the control group (77.63% 229/295 vs. 94.31% 265/281, P<0.001). Furthermore, the proportion of subjects that were transferred to NICU for monitoring and observation after birth was higher in the VM group than that of the control group (20.96% 48/229 vs. 4.53% 12/265, P<0.001). During the follow-up, it was found that the rate of neurodevelopmental abnormalities of the VM group was significantly higher than that of the control group (11.79% 27/229 vs. 1.90% 5/265, P<0.001). Moreover, neurodevelopmental abnormalities of VM fetuses were correlated to the following factors, the degree of VM (P=0.010), intrauterine progression of VM (P=0.024), and whether the postnatal cranial ultrasound result was suggestive of VM (P=0.001). In addition, postnatal cranial ultrasound suggestive of VM was found to be an independent risk factor for neurodevelopmental abnormalities (OR=9.434, 95% CI: 1.791-49.688, P=0.008).
Conclusion VM reduces the fetal live birth rate and may increase the risks of neurodevelopmental abnormalities after birth. All VM fetuses should be closely followed up for neurodevelopment status after birth, especially those with severe VM, intrauterine progression, and postnatal cranial ultrasound indicative of VM.
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