Is human atrial natriuretic peptide in fetal blood useful as a parameter to detect the decompensate state of the fetal heart?

In nonimmunologic hydrops fetalis associated with heart anomaly, plasma human atrial natriuretic peptide (hANP) values in umbilical venous blood were significantly higher than those in normal infants. These findings indicate that significant release of hANP from atria is induced by the decompensatory state of the fetal heart.