Fetal echocardiography

Fetal echocardiography allows for the exclusion of major congenital heart defects in the unborn child, especially those that would pose a significant risk to the life or health of the newborn at the time of birth.

Why undergo fetal echocardiography?

The examination is particularly (but not exclusively) recommended in cases of:

Family history of congenital heart defects (presence of cases in the family, even if only one of the parents is affected).

Evidence of maternal morbid conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, systemic arterial hypertension, outcomes of drug addiction, or transmissible viral diseases such as HIV.

When to undergo fetal echocardiography?

Fetal echocardiography is generally performed after the first morphological ultrasound, starting from the 20th week of pregnancy.