Why Is Fetal Echocardiography Conducted?
Published On - April 5, 2022
Fetal echocardiography is a specific type of examination that makes use of sound waves or ultrasound waves for the evaluation of the heart of a baby to detect problems even before birth.
This kind of examination is carried out to get a more detailed image of the heart of the baby than is possible with a standard pregnancy ultrasound. Find out what you can understand from fetal echocardiography near me examination.
What can you understand from the fetal echocardiography examination?
With this type of test, it is possible to check the structures of the heart of a baby even before birth, the rhythm of the heart and the flow of blood through the heart.
The test can be carried out in case some close family member of the baby such as a sibling or a parent has heart disease or a heart defect.
With a routine pregnancy ultrasound, possible heart problems or an abnormal heart rhythm can be detected in the unborn baby.
A Fetal echocardiography examination can be carried out if the mother has diabetes, phenylketonuria or lupus before pregnancy. It might also be conducted if the mother has rubella during pregnancy in the first trimester.
If she has used any medication that might damage the developing heart of the baby, such as prescription acne medicines or some epilepsy drugs, even then this test might be useful.
A chromosomal disorder can be revealed with the help of amniocentesis. If there is some other cause to suspect that there is a higher risk for the baby to suffer from heart problems, fetal echocardiography can be useful. It is important to find out about fetal echocardiography cost in Kolkata before you carry out this kind of test in a clinic near you in the city of Kolkata.
How is the test carried out?
Fetal echocardiography is performed while the baby is still in its mother’s womb. It is carried out most frequently in pregnancy during the second trimester. It is when a woman is pregnant for around 18 to 24 weeks.
This process is just like a pregnancy ultrasound and you have to lie down for the test to be conducted. The examination maybe performed through your vagina in case of a transvaginal ultrasound or on your belly in case of an abdominal ultrasound.
What are some considerations to remember?
Keep in mind that even with fetal echocardiography, some hard defects in babies cannot be seen before birth. These problems include mild valve issues or small holes in the heart. Also, some problems in this region might go unnoticed because it might not be possible to check every section of the large blood vessels that lead out of the heart of a baby.
In case a problem is detected in the heart structure by a healthcare provider, he might like to carry out a detailed ultrasound examination – to look for some other issues with the heart of the developing baby.
It is very important to get this process carried out at a good clinic near you, in order to be assured of the accuracy of the results.
