KONTINUIraNa MEdICINsKa EdUKaCIja The significance of screening and prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease

Milan Perovic ,
Milan Perovic
Zeljana Marinkovic
Zeljana Marinkovic

Published: 01.12.2010.

Biochemistry

Volume 27, Issue 1 (2011)

pp. 243-251;

https://doi.org/10.5937/matmed1101243p

Abstract

Congenital heart disease is the most important cause of infant mortality. Abnormalities of the heart and great arteries are the most common congenital defects. Congenital heart disease is often fallow by extracardiac malformations. Many studies revailed positive impact of prenatal diagnosis and timelly treatment on pre-operative condition and outcome of surgery and long term prognosis. Neverthelles, structural cardiac anomalies were also among the most frequently missed abnormalities by prenatal ultrasonography at mid-trimester scan. The 4-chamber view has a Detection Rate of 6-50%, with a reasonable figure of 20% in community setting screening programs. The addition of the outflow determines a significant increase of the Detection Rate which, in most studies, ranges 20-40%. The three-vessel view allows to detect major abnormalities of the arches, the neck vessels and the thymus. The prenatal detection of specific types of congenital heart disease, such as Transposition of great arteries, Hypoplastic left heart syndrome, Tetralogy Fallot, seems to have a significant impact on survival, hospital stay and pre-operative conditions of the affected neonates. Hence, fetal cardiac screening is a must for all health professionals involved in prenatal diagnosis.

Keywords

References

1.
Ferencz C, Ca L, Ca M. Congenital Heart disease -The Baltimore-Washington Infant study 1981-9. 1993;
2.
Allan Ld, Benacerraf B, Copel J, Carvalho Ac, Chaoui R, Eik-Nes S. Isolated major congenital heart disease. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2001;370–9.
3.
Gertis L. Cardiac malformations in spontaneous abortions. Int j Cardiol. 1985;29–35.
4.
Buskens E, De G, Mulder F, Stewart Pa I, Wladimiroff Jw. Efficacy of routine fetal ultrasound screening for congenital heart disease in normal pregnancy. Circulation. 1996;(1):67–72.
5.
Office for National statistics Mortality statistics Childhood, infancy and perinatal series dH. 2002;

Citation

Copyright

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 

Article metrics

Google scholar: See link

The statements, opinions and data contained in the journal are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). We stay neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Most read articles

Partners