The technique of fetal echocardiography, with its indications and results in a selected population

Abstract

SummaryOne of the most important contributions of echocardiography to the diagnosis of congenital cardiac malformations is represented by its use in prenatal evaluation. In the present work we discuss the analysis of echocardiographic findings in a preliminary study of the hearts of fetuses in 273 pregnant women. The cases have been divided into three groups. The first group of 169 women was made up of those without a known factor conferring high risk on the pregnancy. The second group of 18 women was comprised of those of suspicions of either arrhythmias or congenitally malformed hearts. The final group of 86 women, consisted of those having had previous children with congenital heart disease. The incidence of pathology in those without risk was 0.5%. In those referred because of suspicion of disease, the incidence was 16.6%, while in those with previous history of children with heart disease, the incidence was 5.8%. Our findings proved the utility of the echocardiogram for the diagnosis of heart malformations prior to birth and confirmed the increased incidence of malformations in fetuses in mothers who had previously produced children with congenital heart disease. The high incidence of cardiac abnormalities in the group referred on the basis of an earlier scan is due to the filter represented by routine echocardiography performed by the obstetricians.