Is there a prenatal test for congenital heart defects?
A special form of sonography (looking at the fetus by means of sound waves) called echocardiography can accurately identify many heart defects. If certain heart problems, such as a heart that is beating too fast or too slowly, are diagnosed before birth, medications may restore a normal heart rhythm before the fetal heart starts to fail. In other cases, where the heart defect can’t be treated before birth, knowing that it exists enables doctors to be ready to give the baby the treatment it needs as soon as it is born. Can congenital heart defects be prevented? While most congenital heart defects cannot yet be prevented, there are some steps a woman can take that may help reduce her risk of having a baby with a heart defect. A woman should be tested prior to pregnancy for immunity to rubella, and vaccinated if she is not immune. Pregnant women should avoid alcohol and unprescribed drugs. Those with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, seizure disorders and PKU should consult thei
