A fetal echocardiogram is a highly specialised ultrasound that provides a detailed view of your baby’s heart..!!
Also known as a fetal echo, this test is used to examine the structure and function of your baby’s heart to help us identify and diagnose congenital heart defects before birth.
It is especially recommended for people with a family history of heart abnormalities, suspected heart problem detected during a routine ultrasound, maternal diabetes or abnormal first trimester screening suggesting the possibility of a genetic syndrome in the baby. It should be emphasised that most cases of congenital heart disease occur in the “low risk” population.
HOW COMMON IS HEART DISEASE?
Congenital heart disease is the most prevalent inborn defect. The statistics says that one out of every 100 pregnancies is reported with heart defects. The hardest fact is that, the ultrasound scanning system in India fails to properly identify it.
What can we establish from a Fetal Echocardiogram
A wide range of congenital heart defects can be identified during fetal life with a very high degree of diagnostic accuracy in experienced hands. From about 18 weeks we can potentially see all the main heart chambers, heart valves and main blood vessels directly attaching to the heart, and establish information about the heart rate and rhythm. We can establish, with a high degree of certainty, the presence of the most important congenital abnormalities of the heart.
What can’t we establish from the study?
Sometimes it is not possible to see all the heart structures because of the position or size of the fetus. This does not mean that they are not there, but may mean that for technical reasons they cannot be assessed at that time. Sometimes this information may not be important; while in some cases it means that definite answers are not possible. The radiologist will discuss this with you, and repeat studies are frequently performed later in the pregnancy.
Because of the small size of abnormal cardiac structures several forms of congenital heart disease are difficult to diagnose in fetal life, for example, small VSD, partial anomalous pulmonary venous connections, mild valvular stenosis, coronary artery anomalies, and coarctation of aorta.
Some congenital heart diseases may be missed at early pregnancy because they develop or progress in severity later in gestation, for example, TOF, coarctation of aorta, restrictive foramen ovale and valvular stenosis/atresia.
Because of fetal circulation, it is not possible to diagnose certain conditions, for example, PDA and ostium secondum ASD.