Benefits of Fetal Echocardiography Examination to Know Your Fetus

Prospective fathers and mothers who are waiting for their babies must be familiar with USG (USG). This examination is to check the shape and condition of the baby in the womb. Besides ultrasound, there is now another method called fetal echocardiography. Fetal echocardiography is the examination of the baby's heart in the womb using the same principle as an ultrasound examination, which uses sound waves.

Fetal echocardiography is useful to more clearly examine the shape and function of a baby's heart. This examination is done so that congenital heart defects can be detected more quickly even before the baby is born. Rapid diagnosis allows birth preparation and careful care (surgical intervention if necessary) can be done more quickly and increase the baby's chances of survival.

Indications for echocardiographic fetal examination

Not all pregnant women need to undergo fetal echocardiography. Some risk factors for fetuses and mothers that may require further investigation with this review are:

Siblings born with congenital heart disease
Family history of congenital heart disease (parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts)
Suspected genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome
Before or during pregnancy, mothers consume drugs that can cause heart abnormalities, such as epilepsy drugs or acne medications that contain isotretinoin.
Mothers consume drugs or alcohol during pregnancy
The mother has diabetes or lupus
The mother was infected with rubella virus during pregnancy
If cardiac abnormalities are suspected during routine ultrasound
If a congenital abnormality is found in another organ (kidney, brain or bone)
The baby's heartbeat is abnormal on ultrasound, too fast or too slow

How to check fetal echocardiography

Echocardiographic examination of the fetus is carried out by a pediatric cardiologist or fetal obstetrician at gestational age, between 18 and 24 weeks. During the examination, a transducer that functions as a microphone is placed in the mother's abdomen. The transducer emits high frequency sound waves. Sound waves will penetrate the skin and reach the baby's heart, then reflect on the structure of the baby's heart wall (echo).

The transducer will capture the sound reflection again and send a signal to the computer, then the signal will be translated as an image of the baby's heart structure. Fetal echocardiography can also describe the direction of blood flow in the baby's heart so the doctor can assess the function of the heart.

In addition to examination by the mother's abdomen, fetal echocardiography can be done through the vagina, called transvaginal echocardiography. This examination can be done early and will give a picture of the heart since the fetus is 12 months old.

Benefits of fetal echocardiography

The main purpose of fetal echocardiography is not just to look for congenital heart defects in the fetus. With earlier diagnosis, it is hoped that the baby's family and the medical staff who manage it can prepare for birth better, for example: