4D Ultrasound Looking Good For Brain Function Tests

A recent paper by Drs Abo-Yaqoub and others has found that using 4D ultrasound to screen babies for brain dysfunction was useful in identifying babies at risk of brain related problems.

4D Ultrasoundscanning provides clear real time images of the baby being scanned. The real images of the baby were used to assess various baby activity features, including head movement, eye movement and blinking; features easily identifiable with 4d scanning.

In their study, the researchers compared 2 groups of pregnant women. One group of 40 women at high risk of giving birth to babies with neurological problems and the other group was composed of 40 pregnant women at low risk.

By looking at various activities with 4D ultrasound, they were able to assess how the each baby was behaving. Activities such as head movements, limb movements (thus the fetal kick counts),
blinking and hand to face movements were assessed and documented.

They analyzed their findings comparing the results obtained by 4D ultrasound method for brain dysfunction screening to another established method, known as Kurjak antenatal neurodevelopmental test (KANET).

The researchers then compared the results of 4D ultrasound, KANET and features obtained after birth using using Amiel-Tison’s neurological assessment at term (ATNAT) for all live-borns..

 

To the full abstract  please click here:

 The role of 4-D ultrasonography in prenatal assessment of fetal neurobehaviour and prediction of neurological outcome

Objective. To determine the role of 4-D ultrasonography in prenatal assessment of fetal neurobehavior and in prediction of adverse neurological outcome.

Population. Forty pregnant women between 20 and 38 weeks of gestation with high risk for neurological abnormalities and 40 low risk cases were included.

Results. The difference in the range of KANET score was significant. A significant difference was shown for isolated head anteflexion, isolated eye blinking, facial expressions, mouth
movements, isolated hand movements, hand to face movement, finger movements, and general movements. For isolated leg movement and cranial sutures, the difference was not significant.

All cases with abnormal KANET proved to be abnormal postnatally.

Conclusion. 4-D ultrasonography may have an important role in prenatal assessment of fetal neurobehavior and prediction of adverse neurological outcome. However, further large studies are recommended before the test could be recommended for wider clinical practice.

 

Until now, it has been very difficult to predict neurological (nervous system, brain) function outcomes after birth of babies while still in the womb.From time to time it is necessary to try
and predict the consequences of a prevailing situation in pregnancy.

After birth, babies are usually assessed by several methods, one such method is called the The method used is one known as Amiel-Tison’s neurological assessment at term (ATNAT) for all live-
borns.

So far, the majority of 4D scans have been requested by parents who have found them reassuring by the fact they could see their baby in real life. What the researchers have done is use the information that is available now to parents into a more clinically useful material to screen for brain disease.

Although  the study is promising, the researchers do recommend further studies being done to confirm these results and establish the clinical role of 4D ultrasound for screening of unborn
babies for brain related problems.

 

 

 

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4d Ultrasound