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PAPERS: P A Boyd, F Tondi, N R Hicks, and P F Chamberlain Autopsy after termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly: retrospective cohort study BMJ 2004; 328: 137 [Abstract] [Full text]

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fetal echocardiography part of prenatal diagnosis

manan vasenwala   (18 January 2004)

fetal echocardiography part of prenatal diagnosis 18 January 2004
manan vasenwala, consultant-cardiologist( echo) k.k.heart center, aligarh-202002.india Send response to journal: Re: fetal echocardiography part of prenatal diagnosis	fetal echocardiography should be part of every prenatal diagnosis for fetal anomaly. very often simple scan is normal but fetus has severe cardiac anomalies. initially, it was recommended that a fetal scan should include a 4-chamber view of the heart. subsequent studies have shown that a normal 4-C scan leaves out anomalies of arch and the specificity of 4-C view was thus low. including rvot and ductal arch and lvot and aortic arch significantly improves diagnostic returns. currently, i beleive in uk at least 90% of pregnant women have at least one fetal scan for the heart during the pregnancy. severe heart anomaly could be a reason for MTP. also delivery of fetuses with severe cardiac anomalies may be better managed in a center equipped for it. a particular anomaly, "syndrome" could lead to amniotic or chorionic villi study for chromosomal anomalies. finally, in the future, it may be possible to operate fetuses in utero for instance for aortic valve stenosis which tends to be progressive and end up with hypoplastic left heart syndrome which may be inoperable post natal. intra-uterine balloon angioplasty can also be attempted where feasible.it is not clear if in this retrospective study, fetal scan included study of heart. Competing interests: None declared