Evaluation of referral indications for fetal echocardiography in Beijing

This study was conducted to evaluate the referral indications for fetal echocardiography (FE) in a tertiary center and to determine which indications were significantly associated with prenatal detection of congenital heart disease (CHD).

The medical records of 1425 consecutive women who underwent second- and third-trimester FE at the Ultrasound Center of Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital from March 2003 to December 2007 were reviewed. Referral indications, FE diagnoses, and pregnancy outcomes were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify those referral indications associated with prenatal detection of CHD.

In 126 patients (8.8%), CHD was detected prenatally and confirmed postnatally. Logistic regression analysis showed that abnormal cardiac views and extracardiac malformation findings (especially a single umbilical artery) on second-trimester ultrasound screening were found to have significantly more CHD (P < .001). The adjusted odds ratios were 15.2 (95% confidence interval, 9.85-23.45) and 6.78 (95% confidence interval, 2.38-19.27), respectively.

Abnormal cardiac views and extracardiac malformation findings on second-trimester ultrasound screening were significantly associated with prenatal detection of CHD.