Hypothesis/aims of study. Fetal heart defects are the most common malformations causing infant mortality. The task of the obstetric care service is to make a timely diagnosis, which includes high-quality ultrasound screening and, if necessary, fetal echocardiography. This study aimed to compare fetal echocardiography with postpartum echocardiography.
Study design, materials and methods. 101 pregnant women with both isolated fetal heart defects and combined pathology were examined for the period 20172019.
Results. The greatest number of heart defects was detected at 2331 weeks of gestation. The structure of the malformations is diverse, the most common one being a complete form of the atrioventricular canal defect. In multiple pregnancies, complex heart defects were often combined with abnormalities in other organ systems.
Conclusion. It is recommended to describe the heart structure in detail from 2122 weeks of pregnancy. If cardiac pathology is detected in utero, it is mandatory to conduct an examination of other fetal organs.
Barriers to Sonographer Screening for Fetal Heart Defects: A U.S. National Survey
