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What is a fetal echocardiogram and why do obstetricians refer patients for them?

April 26, 2017children echocardiogram Fetal heart defect Obstetricians Patients refer

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What is a fetal echocardiogram and why do obstetricians refer patients for them?

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Is a “bright spot” on the heart serious? Does my daughter’s heart murmur make my unborn baby more likely to have a heart problem? Does the heart of my unborn baby work the same way before and after the baby is born? Answer: Your obstetrician may want to explore the possibility of a heart defect in more detail. Heart problems are the most common birth defect, occurring in about 1 percent of children. A fetal echocardiogram is a specialized ultrasound performed by a pediatric cardiologist that focuses on the fetus’s heart. The machine looks exactly the same as a regular ultrasound machine but images only the heart. It has specialized probes and hardware that allow clear images of the fetal heart. There is no risk to the fetus and you do not have to have a full bladder for the test. If a heart problem is found, the pediatric cardiologist can explain the diagnosis and what it would mean for the baby after birth. An obstetrician may refer someone to a pediatric cardiologist for a fetal echo