Fetal Echo Appt

Today was our Fetal Echocardiogram appointment and, much to my relief, it went well!  A fetal echo is a detailed scan of a baby's heart to look for congenital heart defects.  We underwent this non-invasive procedure due to an aortic valve defect on Hubby's side, which can be inherited.  The purpose of the exam was to determine whether any heart issues are currently presenting in our baby, and if so, what treatment options/risks would be.

Here's a sample view of a normal fetal heart, courtesy of the UPenn Medical Library:

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The echo portion took about 20 minutes, during which the technician did lots of measuring and took photos at different angles using what looked and worked very much like a regular ultrasound wand.  We also heard the heart beating, which for me is always a huge relief.  I was pretty impressed that the technician was able to get all the info he needed relatively quickly despite the fact that baby kept flipping and darting around the whole time!  It appears we have a "very active baby" on our hands -- wonder where baby got those genes from?!  Certainly not me...  ;)  Despite our baby's heart measuring in at a mere 1.5 cm {which is normal, but so small to think about!}, the technician was able to identify clearly the four chambers of the heart and all appropriate major valves and vessels.  Phew!

After the technician performed the echo we met with a pediatric cardiologist to review the results.  The doctor advised us that everything looked good, and that although it is too soon to spot a bicuspid aortic valve at this point, in most cases a healthy 20 week scan means the baby will be born with a healthy heart because most of the time {I think he mentioned an estimate of 80%} left heart defects manifest themselves by 20 weeks.  The inheritance rate for left heart lesions is currently estimated in the 10-20% range, while other heart defects are typically inherited only ~ 3-5% of the time.  Left heart lesions can evolve before birth though, so as a precaution, he recommended that we return for a follow-up echo in 8-10 weeks to ensure that everything has grown appropriately and the aortic arch looks good.  If they spot something odd at the follow-up appointment, they'll have a specialist examine the baby at the hospital after delivery.  But, if all looks good at the follow-up appointment -- which is what we're hoping for -- then there's likely no need for any further concern and we'd just get a pediatric cardiologist to examine the child sometime within the first few years of life just to triple check everything.

So, for the time being we have every reason to hope for the best and try not to worry!  :)  Though I'm starting to realize that as a soon-to-be parent that is much easier said than done!!

As a side note, both the sonogram technician and the doctor were incredibly nice and explained everything clearly.  Despite being at a top medical facility with lots of patients, they each entertained all questions we had, and did not rush us at all.  We also were not kept waiting any longer than a few minutes beyond our original appointment start time.  This is all quite a novelty in NYC!

If you're interested, you can read more about Fetal Echocardiograms here.

Here, you can find some facts and information on congenital heart disease and pediatric heart conditions.

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