A patient after treatment for a congenital heart defect that was discovered through fetal echocardiography |
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What Are the Reasons to Get a Fetal Echo?
1. Suspected heart abnormality on a routine ultrasound scan.
2. Fetal heart rhythm abnormalities, including atrial premature beats (PACs).
3. A previous child, sibling or parent born with a heart defect. Some heart defects can be inherited.
4. The fetus has been diagnosed with other congenital problems such as: chromosomal abnormalities (e.g. Down's Syndrome), kidney malformation, bowel abnormalities, lung abnormalities, a 2 vessel cord.
5. Maternal illnesses such as Lupus, Juvenile Rheumatoid arthritis, Diabetes mellitus or others.
6. Maternal infections such as Toxoplasmosis, Cytomegalic virus (CMV), Coxsackie, Rubella, Mumps virus, Parvovirus or Lyme Disease.
7. Exposure to a drug that may be associated with an increased risk of heart defects such as: Lithium, Alcohol, Dilantin, Valproic Acid, Retin-A, Carbamazepine, Trimethadione or SSRIs, such as Paxil.
8. Polydramnios (excess amniotic fluid) or oligohydramnios (too little fluid).
9. Syndromes that run in families, such as Tuberous Sclerosis, Marfan's Syndrome, Ehlers Danlos, Noonan Syndrome and Glycogen Storage Diseases.
10. Abnormal fluid collections in the fetal body: lungs, abdomen, head and heart. |
