Early fetal heart screening

Congenital heart defects are screened by the Fetal Ultrasound Center already during the OSCAR test, because:

Congenital heart defects are the most common congenital malformations. Approximately 1:100 newborns have heart defects of varying severity.
These are often severe developmental disorders. Most congenital heart defects require surgical treatment. There are many forms of congenital heart defects. Approximately 200 different heart defects have been described in the professional literature.
The birth of a child with a newborn heart defect is a big challenge for the whole family.
Congenital heart defects combine with other fetal developmental defects in 40% of cases.
Congenital heart defects are difficult to detect in general screening. In England, only 50% of congenital heart defects are detected prenatally each year.
85% of severe heart defects can already be diagnosed during the OSCAR test.
The results of prenatal screening for congenital heart defects are significantly better when performing combined prenatal heart defect screening at 12 weeks of pregnancy and 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Prenatal detection of congenital heart defects improves children's survival and quality of life.

Examples of fetal congenital heart defects potentially detected during early fetal ultrasound include:

Transposition of the great arteries
Double-outlet right ventricle
Truncus arteriosus
Atrioventricular canal defect
Tetralogy of Fallot
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Hypoplastic right heart syndrome
Single ventricle

If, during the OSCAR test, there is a suspicion of a congenital heart defect in the fetus, the ultrasound examination of the fetal heart is repeated at the 16th or 20th week of pregnancy to clarify the diagnosis, if necessary.

Video. Early fetal echocardiography. Dr. Marek Šois