Introduction: The earliest proof of a viable pregnancy is obtained when cardiac activity of the embryo can be observed. Transvaginal sonography can accurately demonstrate embryonic heart rate at 6 weeks of gestational age by using M-mode transvaginal sonography. Slow embryonic heart rate at 6-7 weeks of gestational age is associated with high rate of first trimester pregnancy loss.
AIM: The study was aimed to evaluate the role of embryonic heart rate (EHR) of early pregnancies as predictive factor of adverse outcome at end of first trimester of pregnancy.
Methods: This observational study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Zenana Hospital, SMS Medical College, Jaipur. It included 300 pregnant women between 6 weeks to 9 weeks of gestational age attending antenatal OPD. Embryonic heart rate was measured by transvaginal sonography. Embryonic heart rate was classified as slow, if it was fewer than 110 beats/ mint or outcome was measured as occurance of spontaneous pregnancy loss prior to 12 weeks.
Results: Out of 300 cases, 290 (96.67%) had embryonic heart rate ?100 beats per minutes and 10(3.33%) had embryonic heart rate <100 beats per minutes. Out of these 290, (Embryonic heart rate ?100 beats per minutes), 284 (97.93%) had good prognosis and 6 (2.07%) had abortion. In 10 women (Embryonic heart rate <100 beats per minutes), 3 (30.00%) had good prognosis and 7 (70.00%) had abortion. This observation was statistically significant.
Conclusion: Slow embryonic heart rate on ultrasonography reduced the success of pregnancy and may lead to abortion.
Keywords: Embryonic heart rate, Ultrasonography, Early pregnancy loss
Incidental Endometrial Carcinoma Diagnosed at First Trimester Pregnancy Loss: A Case Report
