Ultrasound examination of the baby’s heart in the womb (Fetal Echo):
It is performed at 18-23 weeks of pregnancy, but ideally at 20-22 weeks. However, when the obstetrician-gynecologist sees or suspects an abnormal heart finding in the fetus, fetal echo is performed at any period of pregnancy if referred. The use of color Doppler in fetal echo examination can detect structural heart abnormalities in the fetus at a very high rate of 90-95%.
In the past, complex cardiac anomalies (several cardiac anomalies together) were usually terminated if the family agreed. Nowadays, due to the successful surgeries performed on babies with some complex cardiac anomalies in some hospitals in our country in recent years and the chance of survival of these babies, we almost do not perform termination of pregnancy anymore.
The aim of our center is to support these families, to provide all kinds of counseling, to follow their pregnancies in meetings we call councils, to ensure that they receive a good neonatal service after birth, to start the necessary drug treatments immediately after birth, to perform the necessary interventions for babies who need emergency intervention, and then to prepare these tiny hearts for surgery when they reach the appropriate weight and age.
Our aim is to provide detailed information to determined families about the living conditions of these babies and the surgery or surgeries to be performed after birth, after surgery and in the following years.
It is important to keep in mind that if these babies do not receive adequate medical care after birth and their circulatory systems deteriorate, the chances of success of the surgery will decrease. Therefore, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and management are important.
The aim of our center is to ensure that these babies are followed up in well-equipped neonatal clinics and meet with teams that will perform their surgeries in experienced centers. Especially due to the budget of families, our main goal is to ensure that these babies are operated in appropriate and equipped hospitals with SSI agreement.