This puts different flow pressures on different parts of the heart and the ultrasound appearances often change from what was seen in-utero compared what is seen post-natally in the baby. The fetus has a different circulation in the womb than it does when it is born and the baby uses its lungs to breathe.
This is probably best done in the third trimester. Once your obstetrician has decided which hospital you are to deliver in, you may wish to arrange a tour of the intensive care nursery and cardiac intensive care unit in order to prepare yourself for where your baby will be. Your obstetrician will make these arrangements for you. Major heart lesions will require delivery in a major tertiary hospital in Brisbane that has adequate neonatal intensive care facilities. Identifying a fetal heart problem will allow an in-depth discussion of what is likely to lie ahead for the baby and family after birth. Delivery of a baby with fetal heart defects The frequency will depend on the fetal problem and the cardiologist involved in your case.
#Normal fetal heart rate at 6 weeks full#
The results are very much dependent on how clearly the heart is seen and will depend on the position of the fetus and the image quality of the mother.Īfter the scan is completed a full discussion of the findings and their implications will be explained to the couple/family members.įurther fetal heart scanning is usually done at 32 and 36 weeks gestation. In addition, some cardiac defects do not become evident until after birth. These tend to be minor defects, such as small holes in the heart, or mild valve abnormalities. Some heart abnormalities are not detectable prenatally, even with a detailed expert examination. Some of the most common congenital heart problems such as a small VSD ~ ventriculo-septal defect (hole in the heart) often do not require surgery, whereas more complex heart problems will require surgery. The paediatric cardiologist will usually manage the baby’s care, together with the neonatologist (paediatrician) and cardiac surgeon, and decide the need for any treatment. After the birth of your baby, the paediatric cardiologist will also perform an echocardiogram (ultrasound) to assess the state of the heart. Usually, together with the fetal ultrasound specialist, the paediatric cardiologist will perform an echocardiogram (ultrasound) of the baby’s heart. This will provide very specific information about what the likely scenarios are for the baby after birth. If a fetal heart abnormality is confirmed, arrangement for a scan with a paediatric cardiologist is usually made. In some circumstances, fetal karyotyping (testing the fetal chromosomes) will be indicated and the couple will be offered a CVS or amniocentesis. At the tertiary scan, the fetal ultrasound specialist will not only re-evaluate the fetal heart but will also closely examine the rest of the fetus, looking for any other possible problems. If there is any question of an anomaly of the fetal heart, prompt referral for a tertiary scan is warranted.
General heart screening is routinely performed at the 18-20 week scan. Exposure to some drugs in early pregnancy, for example, some anti-epileptic drugs can damage the developing heartįetal heart ultrasound requires a great deal of expertise and experience.Abnormality of another major organ system.Fetal heart abnormalities detected during a routine pregnancy ultrasound scan.Thickened nuchal translucency at 12 weeks of more than 3.5 mm.Mother has insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes mellitus.1 in 10-20 chance if the parent has CHD.1 in 50 chance the fetus will have a heart problem if a sibling has CHD.There is a strong family history of congenital heart disease.The fetus has an increased chance of CHD if: They should be considered for referral for a specialised fetal echocardiogram. Some pregnant women are at increased risk of giving birth to a baby with congenital heart disease (CHD). Under optimal imaging conditions, many of the major anomalies can be suspected. Therefore, it is not surprising that some fetal heart problems will not be evident at the 18-20 week routine scan. However, routine scanning is usually done at the 18-20 week scan because some management options –like terminating a pregnancy - are more difficult after 20 weeks gestation.Īt 20 weeks, the heart is about the size of your thumbnail and has a lot of growing to do before birth. The ideal time to scan the fetal heart is after 23 weeks. The severity of these heart lesions ranges from very minor to more complex, serious problems.
Congenital heart lesions are very common and affect approximately 1 in every 100 babies born.
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