To test the hypothesis that the myocardial isovolumic contraction velocity (ICV) and its acceleration reflect left ventricular (LV) contractility in the fetal sheep. The experiments were performed in 11 sheep fetuses at 127–138 (term 145) days of gestation. dP/dtmax was measured using a 3F Millar catheter inserted into the LV via the carotid artery. Fetal arterial blood pressure and the acid base status were monitored using a cannula inserted into the fetal descending aorta through the femoral artery. The LV contractility was altered by infusing angiotensin II via a femoral vein cannula. Fetal echocardiography was performed using a 10 MHz phased-array transducer (Vivid 7 Dimension) through the uterine wall and longitudinal myocardial velocities of the LV were recorded using pulsed-wave tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) at the level of mitral annulus. The average fetal weight was 2787 g. The LV end-systolic pressure (64 ± 18 versus 93 ± 26 mmHg; p = 0.001), end-diastolic pressure (14 ± 6 versus 20 ± 9 mmHg; p = 0.005), dP/dtmax (1224 ± 330 versus 2030 ± 476 mmHg/s; p = 0.003), and mean arterial pressure (43 ± 6 versus 65 ± 14 mmHg; p < 0.001) increased significantly following angiotensin II infusion. There was a corresponding increase in the LV ICV (4.1 ± 2.3 versus 6.4 ± 2.4 cm/s; p = 0.039) and its acceleration (3.5 ± 2.5 versus 7.8 ± 4.9 m/s2, p = 0.022) but the other longitudinal myocardial velocities, heart rate, cardiac cycle time intervals and the Tei index did not change significantly. An increase in fetal LV contractility (dP/dtmax) is reflected in myocardial ICV and its acceleration measured by TDI.