A medical procedure which is used to diagnose Congenital heart defects in the unborn babies is known as fetal cardiology. The procedure is purposely designed to address heart related concerns that remain undetected in the unborn babies and after birth it affects the baby’s overall health condition. The treatment procedure involves the observation and examination of congenital heart defects with the help of certain medical equipment (conditions that are present at birth) before birth. It often used advanced imaging techniques such as fetal echo-cardiography (a type of ultrasound that specifically examines the heart).

Hence, fetal cardiology contributes to managing heart conditions in the unborn child. Early detection provides freedom to doctors and parents to decide the best suitable treatment for the baby’s condition. Therefore, doctors are able to provide essential treatments like surgeries, or specialized care once the baby is born. Fetal cardiology is an indispensable component of maternal-fetal medicine, which is focused on the health of both mother and child during pregnancy.

Reasons For Fetal Cardiology

There are various reasons why you need to undergo fetal cardiology. These include:

A regular ultrasound has detected a concern with your baby’s heart.
A baby is suspected with genetic/ chromosomal abnormalities.
A woman is experiencing multiple pregnancies.
You are suffering with health problems like diabetes that could affect the baby’s heart.

Importance of Fetal Cardiology

As we know that fetal cardiology is a crucial procedure for both mother and child hence there are several importance of this procedure.

The procedure helps doctors in detecting or diagnosing the heart condition of the unborn.
It also assists healthcare to plan appropriate Interventions.
Fetal cardiology reduces risks of complications.
It improved long-term outcomes.
It provides advancement in medical technology and Research programs.

Fetal Cardiology Cost & Its Benefits

The cost of fetal cardiology ranges from 2,000 to 8,000 INR. However, the cost may vary according to the mother’s condition and which type of hospital you have opted for whether it is government or private hospital or clinic. City location, doctors expertise also play an important role in calculating the whole cost. Although there are various advantages of this test these include:

Early detection of the health problems
Measure different complications
Contribute in mother’s well being
Support healthy Pregnancy
Assists doctors in suitable treatment options

Risks and Side Effects

According to medical experts there are no risks and side effects associated with the procedure. It is a safe and advanced diagnosing method to check the heart condition of the unborn. Trained medical practitioners performed fetal cardiology under the supervision of senior specialized doctors.

The test successfully provides accurate information about the heart. In the meantime the expecting woman only experiences minimal discomfort and there are no major risks involved during the process. Moreover, it is a non-invasive procedure that does not involve any incisions so, it is the safest test method for both the expecting woman and unborn.

Procedure of Fetal Cardiology

The procedure is done through following steps which are as follows:

A team of doctors, including pediatric cardiologist, maternal-fetal specialist and radiologists first check the history of the patient and then proceed with the procedure.
No fasting is required before the test which might be required while performing routine ultrasound examination.
The procedure is usually performed between the second to third trimester of the pregnancy.
On the day of fetal cardiology the expecting woman is suggested to lie on an exam table or bed in a fully equipped room.
Once the woman is comfortably lying upon the table then a healthcare provider applies a certain gel to the women’s belly.
After that, a radiologists uses a transducer into the belly to send sound waves. Then the transducer device moves around the belly to get images of the baby’s heart from different angles. The mother often asked to take different positions to get exact images.
Once the images are received a healthcare provider or radiologists removes the applied gel by cotton wipes.
The whole procedure takes about 30 to 40 minutes.
After the procedure, the mother is asked to wait for certain hours to get results.