Combined Maternal Serum Inhibin A and Embryonic/ Fetal Heart Rate for the Prediction of Pregnancy Outcome in a First-Trimester Threatened Abortion†
Vorapong Phupong MD*, Tharangrut Hanprasertpong MD*,**
Affiliation : † This abstract was presented at the XIX FIGO World Congress of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Cape Town, South Africa * Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand ** Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
Objective : To examine the value of combined maternal serum inhibin A and embryonic/ fetal heart rate to predict the
pregnancy outcome in a first-trimester threatened abortion.
Materials and Method: This was a prospective observational study. The authors measured maternal serum inhibin A and the
embryonic/ fetal heart rate in women with a clinical diagnosis of a threatened abortion and in normal pregnant women. The
main outcome measured was ongoing normal pregnancies.
Results : Thirty women with threatened abortions and 30 normal pregnant women were followed. Three women with threatened
abortions ended in failed pregnancies. The mean embryonic/fetal heart rate and the median of serum inhibin A in the
threatened abortion group were not different from the control group. In women with threatened abortions and failing
pregnancies, the embryonic/fetal heart rate (101.7 + 20.1 beats/min) was significantly lower than in women with threatened
abortions but ongoing pregnancies (163.3 + 19.7 beats/min, p = 0.024). Serum inhibin A in women with threatened abortions
and failing pregnancies was not different from women with threatened abortions but ongoing pregnancies (median) 274.0 vs.
559.9 pg/mL, p = 0.388). When using serum inhibin A combined with embryonic/fetal heart rate, or only embryonic/fetal heart
rate, the sensitivity and specificity for predicting an ongoing pregnancy were 100% and 50% or 100% and 100%, respectively.
Conclusion : Combined maternal serum inhibin A and embryonic/fetal heart rate is not better than embryonic/fetal heart rate
for predicting the pregnancy outcome in a first-trimester threatened abortion.
Keywords : Serum inhibin A, First trimester, Fetal heart rate, Threatened abortion, Prediction, Outcome
