[Specific and nonspecific fetal cardiac problems]

Area of Science:

• Perinatology
• Fetal Cardiology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Congenital malformations pose significant risks to fetal health.
• Fetal echocardiography is a key diagnostic tool for identifying these conditions.
• Understanding the prevalence of specific anomalies aids in risk assessment and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the prevalence and types of fetal malformations diagnosed via echocardiography.
• To specifically investigate cardiac anomalies in both singleton and multiple pregnancies.
• To differentiate between fetal-specific and postnatal-common cardiac abnormalities.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 7047 fetal echocardiographic examinations from 5196 fetuses (1994-2001).
• Categorization of diagnosed malformations, focusing on central nervous system and cardiac defects.
• Sub-analysis of cardiac anomalies in singleton versus multiple gestations.

Main Results:

• Congenital malformations were diagnosed in 1861 pregnancies (26.4%).
• Central nervous system malformations (25%) and congenital heart defects (23%) were most common.
• In fetuses, common cardiac anomalies included congenital heart defects (8%), tricuspid regurgitation (6%), and arrhythmias (6%). Fetal-specific anomalies included those related to hydrops fetalis (4.2%) and maternal pharmacotherapy/fetal infection (3.2%).
• Twin pregnancies showed a high incidence of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (10%) and cardiac issues in conjoined twins.

Conclusions:

• Fetal echocardiography provides crucial data on congenital malformation prevalence.
• Congenital heart defects are a major component of fetal malformations.
• Specific cardiac anomalies require distinct diagnostic and management approaches in fetal life, particularly in multiple gestations.