![]() ![]() Other studies found no benefit on neonatal outcomes. Moreover, it helps the detection of concomitant fetal chromosomal and extra-cardiac anomalies, assists in antenatal and postnatal management planning and offers better parental counseling. Several studies have shown that it decreased neonatal morbidity and mortality usually of the duct-dependent types as it provides the opportunity for a controlled elective delivery at a tertiary care center with a specialized perinatal cardiac and cardio-thoracic surgical services. The impact of prenatal diagnosis of CHD on the postnatal outcomes has been controversial. However a major number of cases do exist without any detectable prenatal risk factors. These include consanguinity, maternal medical illnesses, teratogenic exposures, fetal chromosomal and extra-cardiac abnormalities. Several risk factors have been incriminated in the pathogenesis of CHD. It also offers a good chance for successful early life-saving management of some types of fetal arrhythmia.ĬHD is the most common congenital anomaly that occurs in 6– live births. FE can accurately diagnose most of the cardiac anomalies though few errors remain challenging (aortic coarctation). ConclusionsĬHDs exist in fetuses with no underlying perinatal risk factors. Cases of fetal supraventricular tachycardia were successfully treated in-utero. It missed two cases of tiny muscular ventricular septal defects and one case of aortic coarctation. FE showed 100% accuracy in diagnosing complex lesions, common atrio-ventricular canals, cono-truncal anomalies, cardiac masses and fetal arrhythmias. The number of fetuses with cardiac abnormalities was significantly higher than those without cardiac abnormalities in mothers not exposed to perinatal risk factors ( p = 0.009) and was statistically lower in mothers exposed to perinatal risk factors ( p = 0.005). The indications for referral were abnormal obstetric ultrasound (52.5%), maternal medical illnesses (23.8%), multiple neonatal deaths (13.9%) and positive family history of CHD (10.9%). Of the ten cases with fetal arrythmias, five fetuses had tachyarrhythmias, four had ectopics and one fetus had congenital heart block in association with maternal lupus. Of the CHDs, complex heart lesions were diagnosed in 57.1%, common atrioventricular canal in 28.6% and conotrunchal anomalies in 14.3%. Congenital heart defects (CHDs) in 34.6%, fetal arrythmias in 9.9%, cardiomyopathy in 2.9% and cardiac mass (Rhabdomyoma) in 1% (combined structural and rhythm abnormalities were observed in two fetuses). Fetal cardiac abnormalities were detected in 46.5% of cases. FE and postnatal transthoracic echocardiography were done. Indications for referral and perinatal risk factors were documented. This is a cross-sectional observational and descriptive study that included one hundred and one singleton pregnant women (101 fetuses) who were referred for FE over a period of one year. We aimed to evaluate the role of fetal echocardiography (FE) as a diagnostic tool for early detection and proper management of fetal cardiac abnormalities, study the indications of referral and detect the perinatal outcome in our institution. The impact of early diagnosis of fetal cardiac abnormalities on the postnatal outcome has been controversial in literature. ![]()
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