Prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease

Pediatr Clin North Am. 2009 Jun;56(3):709-15, Table of Contents. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2009.04.002.

Abstract

This article presents advancements in the field of fetal echocardiography and the significant impact of these within the fields of pediatric cardiology, perinatology, and neonatology. A prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease allows for improved counseling of the parents, guides the timing and optimal location of delivery, and allows appropriate planning and consultation between the cardiologist and neonatologist. It also facilitates accurate diagnosis and management of fetal arrhythmias, identifies potential candidates for in utero cardiac intervention, and serves as the imaging guidance technique for these procedures. The goals, indications, advantages, limitations, and spectrum of congenital heart disease that can be diagnosed are reviewed.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / diagnostic imaging*
  • Echocardiography
  • Female
  • Fetal Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Fetal Diseases / therapy
  • Heart / embryology
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / diagnostic imaging*
  • Humans
  • Pregnancy
  • Ultrasonography, Prenatal*