When a Fetal Echocardiogram Is Necessary and What It Can Reveal

Has your obstetrician recommended a fetal echocardiogram? It’s normal to be worried, and it’s normal to have questions about why it’s necessary and what it can reveal about your baby’s heart.

A fetal echocardiogram is a specialized ultrasound that evaluates your baby’s heart during pregnancy. It’s a noninvasive test that works similarly to a typical pregnancy ultrasound — but it provides much more detailed insights into the structure and function of your baby’s heart before birth.

Devyani Chowdhury, MD, MHA, and our team at Cardiology Care For Children offer fetal echocardiograms in Lancaster, Mifflinburg, and Strasburg, Pennsylvania, and Topeka, Indiana, and we’re here to help answer your questions.

Why your doctor might order a fetal echocardiogram

Your obstetrician might recommend a fetal echocardiogram if your baby has a higher risk of congenital heart defects or other heart-related conditions. These risks might be higher based on factors like:

Family history

If you or your partner have a family history of congenital heart defects or other heart-related genetic conditions, a fetal echocardiogram can be helpful to rule out or identify any potential issues.

Abnormal ultrasounds

If a routine ultrasound shows possible heart abnormalities, your doctor may order a fetal echocardiogram for a more detailed evaluation of your baby’s heart.

Chromosomal abnormalities

If prenatal screening tests indicate a higher risk of chromosomal abnormalities, like Down syndrome, there may also be an increased risk of heart defects. A fetal echocardiogram can help detect any heart issues that may be present.

Certain maternal health conditions

If you have certain health issues, like diabetes, autoimmune diseases, or infections during pregnancy, these conditions can increase your baby’s risk of heart problems. Getting a fetal echocardiogram helps assess your baby’s heart, so that if there is an issue, your health care team can detect it early and start managing any potential complications.

Certain medications you take during pregnancy

Taking certain medications while you’re pregnant can affect fetal development, including your baby’s heart. Some examples include anti-seizure medications, ACE inhibitors, and lithium. If you’ve been taking these or other medications, your doctor might suggest a fetal echocardiogram to make sure your baby’s heart is developing normally.

What a fetal echocardiogram can reveal

A fetal echocardiogram provides a detailed look at your baby’s heart and how it functions.  We utilize ultrasound technology, which uses sound waves to create real-time images of your baby’s heart.

The sound waves bounce off your baby’s heart and are converted into images that show blood flow, heartbeats, and potential abnormalities. It allows us to identify a range of heart conditions that may require monitoring or treatment after birth. Some of the issues a fetal echocardiogram can reveal include:

Congenital heart defects

Congenital heart defects are structural problems with the heart that are present at birth. A fetal echocardiogram can detect issues like holes in the heart, underdeveloped heart chambers, or problems with heart valves.

Heart rhythm problems

The test can identify abnormal heart rhythms, including heartbeats that are too fast and too slow, which might need medical management before or after birth.

Heart function

Since a fetal echocardiogram evaluates how your baby’s heart is pumping blood, it can provide insight into functional issues that might affect their health after birth.

Blood flow patterns

The test also assesses how blood is flowing through your baby’s heart and surrounding vessels, which can help us detect potential circulation issues that could affect overall heart function.

Preparing for the future

If your doctor orders a fetal echocardiogram, it’s normal to be worried about what it means for your baby’s health. It can help to remember that the goal of the test is early detection — if the fetal echocardiogram reveals any abnormalities, it gives your health care providers the ability to plan and manage potential complications either before or shortly after birth.

A fetal echocardiogram can be a vital tool in assessing your baby’s heart health during pregnancy. If your doctor recommends this test, it’s an important step to make sure that any heart-related issues are detected and managed as early as possible for the best possible outcomes.

Get more personalized advice with a consultation at Cardiology Care For Children. Call us to schedule your first appointment with Dr. Chowdhury today.