Volume of intracranial structures on three‐dimensional ultrasound in fetuses with congenital heart disease

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the volume of intracranial structures in fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods Total intracranial volume, frontal lobes volume, thalamus volume and cerebellar volume were prospectively evaluated and compared in 73 fetuses with CHD and 168 normal fetuses using three‐dimensional ultrasound combined with post‐processing software at 20 + 0 to 36 + 6 weeks of gestation. Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for reduced volume of intracranial structures. Results From the 28th week of gestation onwards, total brain volumes and those of specific structures became progressively smaller in fetuses with CHD relative to those in controls (P