Fetal echocardiography is a detailed ultrasound examination of the baby’s heart (the appearance of the heart, the heart rate and the flow rate through the major blood vessels of the heart), which can also be performed at the Novakovic Polyclinic.
This examination is done to detect possible fetal heart defects.
Heart defects are one of the most common anomalies that occur both before and after the birth of a baby and occur in about 1% of live-born babies.
Risk factors for heart defects are:
• alcoholism,
• consumption of some drugs (isotretinoin products or lithium),
• mother’s illnesses (eg diabetes or if a primary rubella or cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is found during pregnancy),
• presence of heart defects in the family,
• idiopathic (unknown) reasons, uncommon.
When is fetal echosonocardiography performed?
FES is advised to be done in every pregnancy, in the period between the 20th and 26th week of gestation, but it is definitely recommended if there are any risk factors for the development of heart anomalies.
What if fetal echosonocardiography results in suspicion something is wrong?
In that case, pediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgeons are consulted, it is suggested to determine the karyotype of the baby because heart defects are often associated with chromosomal abnormalities and the existence of anomalies of other organs. organs (ultrasound examination in the second trimester), talks to parents about the prognosis, further steps and examinations.