Fetal Echocardiogram
Fetal echocardiogram test should carry out by dedicated pediatric cardiologist only.
As we know that every year, lakhs of children are delivered with multiple types of congenital heart defects including heart beat or rhythm problems or fetal heart pumping issues, making this common congenital defects in children, should keep fetal echocardiogram test on priority list of investigations that should carried out during the pregnancy.
We can suspect few heart diseases even during level 2 USG test, but by doing fetal echocardiogram; can come to know almost 90-95% of heart problems in fetal life itself.
Fetal echocardiogram is very useful test as detecting heart problems in fetus, can counsel their parents, for future outlooks related, to particular heart concern. We can plan whether to carry on pregnancy or not, or where should deliver their baby as few cardiac diseases, are life threating that newborn babies in first few hours of life baby should delivered in setup neonatologist, pediatric cardiologist as well as pediatric cardiac surgeon are available on take care of the neonate.
Fetal echocardiogram test can be carried out after 18 weeks of conception in majority of pregnancies.
Expectant mother can come after taking food as well she is not expected to hold the urine for test.
Fetal echocardiogram is free from risk involved either to mother or the fetus.
Of ultrasound report is showing concerns related to fetal heart or in few high risk pregnancies (like mother is case of diabetes, IVF or twin pregnancy, history of birth defects the heart in family etc), fetal echocardiogram should carried out without doubt.
Parents can counselled in detail if fetal heart problem is detected after doing fetal echocardiogram test.