Fetal Echocardiography for the General Pediatrician

Fetal echocardiography is now commonly used to assess fetuses for congenital heart disease. To care for their patients, it is important for the pediatrician to understand the utility of the test, the benefits, and the limitations of the results. This review outlines the indications, components, and limitations of fetal echocardiography with a focus on the care that the pediatrician provides to newborns and their families. An understanding of the fetal cardiac examination can assist the pediatrician in caring for patients with either normal or abnormal test results. The need for and timing of postnatal cardiology follow-up, and guidance on referral for fetal echocardiogram for future pregnancies are all critical roles that the pediatrician can play. Most importantly, an understanding of the limitations, including difficult-to-diagnose lesions, allows the pediatrician to maintain a high level of suspicion for cardiac defects regardless of fetal echocardiography findings. [.