A 40-year-old member asked:
Would a fetal heart ultrasound find all problems if there were any?
2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in
Dr. Danae Steeleanswered
Maternal-Fetal Medicine 33 years experience
No: No ultrasound can diagnose all problems in a baby, and fetal heart ultrasounds can miss problems too. A good fetal echocardiogram should be able to diagnose most major heart defects in a fetus, but there are factors that can make the exam difficult, like the gestational age of the fetus, the position of the fetus, or a mother who is obese.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Nikolaos Zachariasanswered
Maternal-Fetal Medicine 28 years experience
Depends.: Depending on maternal bmi, gestational age, number of fetuses, fibroids, fetal position, machine used, duration of the examination, examiner experience and amniotic fluid volume - prenatal sonography can pick up 20-70% of all fetal heart defects. Fetal echocardiography should detect >90% of such defects, but there are not enough pediatric cardiologists interested in fetal echo around to try that.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 46-year-old member asked:
What is a fetal heart ultrasound?
1 doctor answer • 5 doctors weighed in
Dr. Danae Steeleanswered
Maternal-Fetal Medicine 33 years experience
Fetal echocardiogram: A fetal echocardiogram is a specialized ultrasound of the fetal heart, usually only done when there is an increased risk of a heart defect in the fetus. It is a detailed look at lots of different parts of a baby's heart anatomy and function.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Nov 28, 2016
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