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Objectives: To study the incidence of fetal loss in threatened abortion after detection of embryonic/fetal heart activity. Methods: A prospective study was performed on pregnant women with clinically diagnosed threatened abortion between 6 and 14 weeks of gestation. All had a good menstrual history and the calculated gestational age using crown–rump length in the first trimester ultrasound was in agreement. Embryonic/fetal heart rate measurements were obtained by a 5 MHz vaginal probe using M-mode and real-time B mode imaging. All cases were followed up with respect to pregnancy outcomes. The data were analyzed using the spss computer program. Results: Eighty-seven pregnant women were included in the study. There were three pregnancies (3.4%) which resulted in fetal loss before 20 weeks of gestation. In viable pregnancies, the mean embryonic/fetal heart rate increased with advancing gestational age. The individual values of embryonic/fetal heart rate for fetal losses were within the reference range. Conclusions: The incidence of fetal loss in threatened abortion after detection of embryonic/fetal heart activity was 3.4%. There was no evident pattern of bradycardia or tachycardia that signaled the incipient of viability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Discusses a case in which sonography has led to the antenatal diagnosis of fetal intestinal volvulus. Symptoms of the disease; Treatment administered to the patient; Features of fetal intestinal volvulus.