COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PRENATAL DETECTION OF FETAL MALFORMATIONS AND POSTNATAL DIAGNOSIS OF NEONATAL CARDIAC ABNORMALITIES IN ATHLETIC WOMEN

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of prenatal ultrasound in detecting fetal malformations and its correlation with postnatal diagnoses of neonatal heart abnormalities, focusing on athletic women due to their unique physiological demands and stress factors which may influence fetal development. Methods: From May 2018 to May 2021, 1920 pregnant athletes were enrolled from our hospital's Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. Each participant underwent a prenatal ultrasound, with postnatal pathological examinations and cardiovascular angiography serving as the gold standard for diagnosing neonatal heart defects. The study compared prenatal ultrasound findings with postnatal diagnostic outcomes using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) to assess the diagnostic accuracy of prenatal ultrasonography in identifying neonatal heart abnormalities. Results: Of the 1920 cases, postnatal evaluations identified 158 instances of fetal cardiac abnormalities. Prenatal ultrasounds detected 152 of these cases accurately, with 6 suspected, 3 missed, and 4 misdiagnosed cases. The detection rates for specific conditions such as ventricular septal defect and left ventricular dysplasia varied, whereas others like the endocardial cushion defect showed no significant discrepancies between prenatal and postnatal findings. Overall, the prenatal ultrasound demonstrated a diagnostic accuracy of 96.20%, a sensitivity of 89.17%, and a specificity of 96.20%. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for prenatal ultrasound in assessing fetal cardiovascular malformations was 0.932 (95%CI: 0.872 – 0.965). Conclusion: Prenatal ultrasound is a highly accurate and sensitive method for detecting cardiovascular malformations in fetuses, particularly valuable for pregnant athletes. Early diagnosis through prenatal screening allows for timely interventions, potentially reducing neonatal complications and enhancing population quality. This underscores the importance of advanced prenatal care and targeted monitoring for athletic expectant mothers to ensure both maternal and neonatal health.