Fetal Medicine
Fetal Echocardiography
- Fetal Medicine Dr consultation .........................600 AED
- Fetal Echocardiography....................................1500 AED
- Fetal ecocardiography + Dr consultation ........1950 AED
Fetal echocardiography is the assessment of an unborn baby’s heart. Most babies have a normal heart.
Approximately 8000 in 1000,000 babies are born alive with a heart defect.
About 4,000 of these are major defects that can be identified before birth If a special scan of the fetal heart is performed. Treatment is usually required after birth and maybe as early as in the first few days, often due to changes in the way the blood circulates following delivery.
For the minority of babies that show an obvious major abnormality, the nature of the defect and available management options will be discussed with the parents.
Minor abnormalities such as small holes in the heart may also be detected, but they do not disturb the way the heart works, even after birth. Treatment is usually unnecessary for minor abnormalities, but follow-up is important.
Apart from structural defects, some babies will need to be assessed for rhythm disturbances.
Fetal echocardiography is usually carried out between 20-23 weeks of gestation and a single scan is generally adequate to assess the fetal heart. And provide a lot of information and assurance to the parents.