Fetal Heart Program

A multidisciplinary team with a pediatric cardiologist, perinatologists, geneticists, nurses and counselors provide care and support to families who face a diagnosis of congenital heart disease before birth (antenatal).

Our specialists have performed fetal echocardiograms since 1979. The service has increased steadily with 800 fetal echocardiograms currently performed each year. This experience allows them to identify abnormalities early in pregnancy. Even with all of this experience, it can be difficult to determine the extent to which the heart is affected until after the baby is born.

The heart is one of the first organs to form in the developing baby or fetus. It is completely formed by the eighth week of pregnancy. Although the heartbeat is detectable by six weeks of pregnancy, details about the structure and function of the heart can only be determined much later in pregnancy.

Routine ultrasounds during pregnancy include an examination of the heart; however, additional detailed imaging of the heart is sometimes needed. While modern technology allows imaging of the heart by as early as 12 weeks of pregnancy, ultrasound assessment of the fetal heart is usually carried out around 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy. This detailed ultrasound, known as a fetal echocardiogram, uses sound waves to take pictures of the baby’s heart before birth.

Information about the baby before birth (antenatal) can give parents and health care professionals valuable direction for making decisions about the delivery and care of the baby after birth. Since most congenital heart disease is treatable, antenatal diagnosis can help the family prepare for the arrival of their child. Antenatal diagnosis and ongoing care and coordination can allow health care professionals to optimize the delivery and care of the newborn baby.

For more information, see referral information for professionals.

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