International Fetal Cardiac Intervention Registry

  • Research type

    Research Database

  • Full title

    International Fetal Cardiac Intervention Registry

  • IRAS ID

    120085

  • Contact name

    Anita Moon-Grady

  • Contact email

    Anita.Grady@ucsf.edu

  • Research summary

    International Fetal Cardiac Intervention Registry

  • REC name

    West of Scotland REC 4

  • REC reference

    13/WS/0220

  • Date of REC Opinion

    20 Nov 2013

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion

  • Data collection arrangements

    This will be a retrospective and prospective
    study of fetal echocardiograms undertaken in our institution at the Evelina Children's Hospital from 2000 present.
    The
    images will be reviewed in line with the protocol set out by the research team at the University of California, by a single
    operator to reduce inter operator variability. Demographics from maternal, fetal cardiology and neonatal case notes will
    be collected and echocardiographic measurements will be made from previouly recorded ultrasound studies. Chief
    investigator and co investigator will review the data collected before submission. Information gathered will be
    anonymous and entered into the secure web based REDCap international database, coordinated by the University of
    Califormia, San Francisco.

  • Research programme

    Fetal aortic stenosis is an anatomically simple birth defect where there is partial blockage of the aortic valve limiting blood flow out the left side of the heart. If the blockage becomes severe in fetal life, the left heart structures may stop growing and the baby may be born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a condition incompatible with life without high risk, newborn heart surgery. Postnatal outcomes remain guarded with the need for three major cardiac operations in early childhood. Attempts have been made to promote blood flow across the valve in utero, in the form of ballooning (aortic valvuloplasty). The first intervention was reported in 1989 and since then several international groups have attempted the procedure with some success (Kohl T, 2000). To date, clinical results of maternalfetal intervention are based on comparisons with historical controls and address efficacy rather than safety (McElhinney D 2009, Arzt W 2011). Careful study is required to study the natural history of the disease in untreated fetuses and ensure safe, properly performed trials are undertaken in the future.

  • Research database title

    International Fetal Cardiac Intervention Registry

  • Establishment organisation

    Fetal Cardiovascular Program, University of California

  • Establishment organisation address

    The Fetal Treatment Center

    505 Parnassus Avenue, Room M306, UCSF

    San Francisco

    CA, 94143