Dear Nicu99 members:

Yesterday I received and invitation to participate in a Radiology Congress, The topic is "The value of prenatal ultrasound in neonatology". Can you share with me your opinions about which can be the most importante topics that I have to take in account.

thanks a lot for your opinions

Manuel Bernal Benitez

Head Neonatologist

Hospital de Especialidades Miguel Hidalgo

Aguascalientes Mexico

Manberbenitez@yahoo.com.mx

Dear Manuel,

There's a few topics that come into my mind for your speech on the congress:

* prenatal screening of congenital heart disease - there's plenty of studies and one can really argue for both pro's and con's.

* renal pelvic enlargement.

* nuchal clearence - chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome

* pregnancy dating for assessment of gestational age

* diagnosis of fetal arytmias

Hope this short input helps.

"Value of prenatal ultrasound in neonatology " in our set up includes

1 congenital defects :cardiac,brain ,lungs, intestinal obstruction, limb ,renal malformations ,and skeletal dysplasias etc. Often the obstetrician does not get mother checked for cardiac defects, and they turn out to be an emergency for us. congenital diphragnatic hernia, fetal ascites, etc need some antenatal management depending on the facilities at center. cardiac arrythmia has been treted by giving dugs to mother

at our center the most frequent usefullness is for diagnosis of intrauterine growth retardation ad type, and dopler for blood flow in fetus -umbilical vand cerbral vessels, it helps to time the delivery.

Also the qrstion ariese who is doing it . If the person doing is not good at detecting abnormalities at ultrasound, they are missed,eg down syndrome, cardiac malformations etc

How many ultrsounds is another debatable question,I personally feel 3 should suffice, 1

am satisfied if the last ultrsound is done near term , as sometimes, congenital malformations may be seen later.

thanks for your opinion kumari. I appreciate so much