Detection of Heart Defects with Fetal Echocardiography

With medical and technological advancements, infant and child mortality rates have decreased over the years, but congenital heart disease is still a leading contributor to these mortality rates. Children with congenital heart disease undergo more severe and rapid medical treatment putting their parents through even harder times. These issues are worth exploring because congenital heart disease is an ongoing illness that has more and more relevant research being done on it. In the United States of America, an increasing number of children are being born and diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) due to medical advancements. This illness not only impacts the infant’s life long term, but it also affects the parent’s well-being (Tak, & McCubbin, 2002). It has

Christine Le, an accountant living in Flushing, New York, gave birth to a healthy baby “Nathan” on January 29th, 2010. She found out that she was pregnant with her first child when her period was late. She had the routine prenatal care starting at 12 weeks and delivered at 40 weeks in a hospital with the present of her husband, Robert, and the in-laws. To insure her baby was healthy, Christine underwent several prenatal diagnostic methods like amniocentesis to examine for genetic defects. Another method was ultrasound; its purpose is to assess fetal age, multiple pregnancies, size and shape of the fetus. Christine underwent numerous lab tests to ensure that there are no complications (Berk, pg.43). Lab tests like a complete blood count that screens

Congenital heart disease is a cardiovascular condition resulting from an abnormality in the structure of the heart. The exact time this defect forms is unknown but it is during the fetal development in the womb. Researchers think the defect could be case partially by genetics and medical conditions of the fetus and the parents. If the baby’s mother had rubella, while pregnant or other conditions such as diabetes could have caused the defect. Some medications that were taken by a pregnant mother could also have caused birth defects. An error on chromosome 22 could also have caused the heart defect. Some symptoms that a person may have a congenital heart may not show up until later in life but many children also have the symptoms. Symptoms of a congenital heart defect are abnormal heartbeat, bluish tint to skin, shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting, and swelling of body tissues and organs.

Syndrome. Approximately half of all infants born with Down’s syndrome have a heart defect. Many of these defects have serious implications”

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome is a very serious birth defect. Studies say, “each year approximately… 640 to 1440 infants in the United States are born with HLHS” (Paediatr Child Health,2). Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, also known as HLHS, is a birth defect where the left ventricle of the heart is either underdeveloped or absent. Today, there are heart surgeries that can help children born with HLHS survive longer and sometimes even live long, happy lives. Though, not all children survive HLHS. Many infants die whilst waiting for a donor heart.

Study population. Four hundred and thirty-eight fetal echocardiograms for TTTS were performed within this institution during the time frame for this study. Of these, forty-four patients who received surgical intervention with adequate echocardiographic information before and after SFLP were included in the review. The mean gestational age for examination was 21.0 ± 2.5 weeks. Quintero staging in the 44 study subjects was: Stage 1, n = 1; Stage 3, n = 38; Stage 4, n = 5. Using the Cincinnati staging system, 32 were classified 3C, 6 stage 3B, 1 Stage 3A, and 5 stage 4. Data for recipient and donor twin fetal weights and deepest vertical pockets are presented in Table 1. Fetal echocardiograms were analyzed in both donors and recipients before and after (mean 4.7 ± 1.8 days) SFLP. The mean interval between initial and the post-SFLP fetal

Critical Congenital Heart Defect (CCHD) is a subgroup of congenital heart defects that normally necessitates surgical intervention or catheterization procedure during the neonatal period (Good, Canale, Goodman, & Yeager, 2015). According to Mahle et al. (2009), although there are measures taken to detect CCHD like prenatal ultrasound and comprehensive newborn physical examination during newborn’s birth hospitalization, there is still a significant percentage of newborns with CCHD that is left undetected and discharged home without being diagnosed. Delay in diagnosis of CCHD increases morbidity and mortality (Mahle et al., 2009). In response to this, Riede et al. (2010) mentioned that the diagnostic gap in CCHD could be bridged by screening newborns using pulse oximetry

Critical Congenital Heart Defects are abnormalities of the heart structure that are present at birth. These occur because of incomplete or abnormal development of the fetus’ heart. These defects can cause severe mortality within the newborn stage (Goldstein, 2013, p.1). Several are known to be linked to genetic disorders such as Down syndrome and others are thought to be linked to environmental factors that women can be exposed to while pregnant. The cause of most CCHD’s is unknown.

They can identify some children with CCHD before conditions show signs of newborn screening using pulse oximetry. If confirmed, CCHD and baby can receive special protection and treatment can prevent disability and death in early life and cardiologists (heart doctors know a lot about) can be seen (Newborn Screening Tests, n.d).

The heart cannot help but break for the suffering of children who are marked by the cruelty of congenital diseases. One such disease is tetralogy of tallot which as a congenital ailment occurs at birth and involves four different kinds of cardial defects (Mayo Clinic, 2015). The incidents of tetralogy of fallot is actually quite rare with only five out of every 10,000 developing it at birth (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2011). It is still important to be familiar with. One reason for the need of understanding the disease is that of all congenital heart disorders it is the one most frequently seen, and the mortality rate is another consideration as 50% will not survive past the age of six should tetralogy of fallot be left untreated (Bhimji & Mancini, 2015). Finally, while vast improvements have been made in intervention of the disease improving survivability the condition will have an effect upon a patients throughout their lifetimes. It is because of these that it is important for early recognition, diagnosis, treatment and care of the disease be enacted to ensure not only a positive health outcome but also a good quality of life.

Did you know that heart abnormalities are the most common birth defect? I didn't, until a few weeks ago. A Facebook friend posted a link to the Cora's Story blog and I casually clicked over to see what it was about. Cora died suddenly in her mama's arms at just 5 days old from an undetected congenital heart defect (CHD). I can't imagine suffering such a devastating loss, and I thank my lucky stars for my kids' healthy hearts. But Cora's mother Kristine has turned her pain into a wonderful mission in her daughter's name: to raise awareness about CHD and how easily it can be detected. With Kristine and Cora's help, hopefully more CHDs will be caught and treated early, saving babies' and children's lives.

Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are the most prevalent of all birth defects and the leading cause of death in the first year of life, (1) with an annual prevalence ranging from six to twelve affected infants per 1,000 live births. (2)

The pericardium is a potential space that may be filled with fluid, blood, pus or, uncommonly, air. Echocardiography is the test of choice for the diagnosis of pericardial disease. In the ICU setting, the most common clinical indication for assessment of the pericardial space is suspected tamponade. The presence of fluid in this space is detected as an echo-free space. Pericardial fluid is usually easily detected with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). The parasternal long- and short-axis and apical views will usually reveal the effusion.

a. Joseph C. Howard, the director of the American Bioethics Advisory Commission gave strong evidence “Studies involving ultrasoudonography, electronic fetal heart monitoring

“Ebstein’s anomaly is a rare cardiac anomaly that occurs in approximately one in 20,000 live births and accounts for less than 1% of all congenital heart disease (Ebstein’s anomaly in adults)”. The goal of this paper is to examine Ebstein’s Anomaly - to understand what it is, how it affects the heart, possible presenting symptoms, and other possible complications associated with this anomaly. Diagnosis of this anomaly is key in treating patients, thus echocardiographic as well as other test modalities are vital in assessing what the treatment options are available, as well as discerning what the prognosis may be. Advancing test modalities have helped distinguish Ebstein’s Anomaly with other differential diagnoses. Developments with