Are fetal heart defects common?
Congenital heart lesions are very common and affect approximately 1 every 100 babies born. The severity of these heart lesions ranges from very minor to more complex serious problems. When is the best time to scan the heart? The ideal time to scan the fetal heart is after 23 weeks. However, routine scanning is usually done at the 18-20 week scan because some management options including termination of pregnancy are more difficult to arrange after 20 weeks gestation. At 20 weeks, the heart is about the size of your thumb nail and has a lot of growing to do before birth. Hence, it is not surprising that some fetal heart problems will not be evident at the 18-20 week routine scan. In optimal imaging conditions many of the major anomalies can be suspected. Normal 4 chamber view with colour flow Normal 4 chamber view with colour flow Who needs a fetal echocardiogram? Some pregnant women are at increased risk of giving birth to a baby with congenital heart disease (CHD) .They should be consi
