Indications for fetal echocardiography from a tertiary-care obstetric sonography practice

The present study was conducted to evaluate the indications for fetal echocardiography in a tertiary-care obstetric sonography practice and to determine the incidences of confirmed congenital heart disease for each primary indication.

A retrospective analysis of all pregnant women referred to a pediatric cardiology unit for fetal echocardiography by the tertiary-care sonography unit over a 2-year period was performed. The primary indications for referral for fetal echocardiography were obtained from the sonographers' reports. Outcome data were extracted from the fetal echocardiograms, postnatal echocardiograms or pathology and autopsy reports, and patient medical records.

Of 6,002 pregnant women who had undergone prenatal sonographic examination during the study period, 275 (4.6%) had been subsequently referred for fetal echocardiography. The most common primary indication for referral had been abnormal cardiac findings on the prenatal sonographic examination, which had been present in 64 (23.3%) of the 275 cases. In 44 (69%) of those 64 cases, congenital heart disease had been confirmed. Among the 211 patients who had had normal cardiac findings on prenatal sonography but had been referred for fetal echocardiography owing to other primary indications, congenital heart disease had been confirmed in only 7 cases (3.3%).

An abnormal cardiac finding during prenatal sonographic examination is a common primary indication for fetal echocardiography and is more useful for identifying congenital heart disease than are other risk factors. Careful routine cardiac screening during routine prenatal sonographic examination may facilitate further investigation and treatment.