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Spotlight on: Congenital Heart Defects

How do you prepare for a newborn with a congenital heart defect?

Each year, approximately 800 babies in Virginia are born with congenital heart defects. About half of these babies will require some type of medical treatment, most commonly open-heart surgery, shortly after they’re born. To find out more about UVA’s Fetal Heart Program, we spoke with pediatric heart surgeon James Gangemi, M.D.

newbornHow do you diagnose a heart defect before the child is born?

We can closely view the fetus’s heart chambers, valves and blood vessels with a non-invasive test called a fetal echocardiogram. This test uses ultrasound (high-frequency sound waves). Our Fetal Echocardiography Lab is fully accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories 

If you discover a heart defect, what services does UVA provide?

UVA offers a wide range of services; before the child is born, our maternal-fetal medicine specialists and pediatric cardiologists will closely monitor the condition of both the mother and the baby. During the pregnancy, the family has the opportunity to meet the entire healthcare team and consult with the pediatric heart surgeon to discuss what surgical treatment will be needed after the child is born. Genetic counseling and social services are also available to assist family members as they get ready for their newborn. Staff members of our dedicated neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are always ready to give specialized care to a child with a congenital heart defect.

Which pregnant women need a fetal echocardiogram?

The American Heart Association recommends a fetal echocardiogram if:

  • There is a family history of congenital heart disease.
  • The mother has type 1 diabetes. 
  • The baby has been exposed to certain drugs early in the pregnancy. For example, some anti-epileptic drugs can damage a developing heart.
  • There is abnormal amniotic fluid in the mother’s uterus.
  • The baby has an abnormal heart rhythm.
  • Fetal heart abnormalities are detected during a routine pregnancy ultrasound scan or an abnormality of another major organ system is found.

Learn more about a Richmond-area family who came to UVA after a routine pregnancy ultrasound uncovered a heart defect.

 

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