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| Echocardiography |
What is Fetal Echocardiography?
Fetal echocardiography is a test that is similar to the ultrasound. This test enables your specialist to all the more likely observe the structure and capacity of your unborn baby's heart. It's commonly done in the subsequent trimester, between weeks 18 to 24.
The test uses sound waves that "reverberation" off the structures of the baby's heart. A machine examines these sounds waves and makes an image, or echocardiogram, of their hearts inside. This picture gives data on how your infant's heart framed and whether it's working appropriately. It likewise empowers your specialist to see the blood course through the baby's heart. This inside and outlook enable your specialist to discover any variations from the norm in the infant's bloodstream or heartbeat.
As there are many facts about this test because this test may be necessary in some cases or maybe not in some cases. This test is especially recommended for that mother or parent who already has any genetic heart disorders. So, with the help of this test doctor can easily check the condition of your baby’s heart and suggest the best medication or procedure if he finds any defect there. Or if you do not have any genetic heart disorder then may this is not a necessary test for you, or in case you just want to get confirmation of your unborn baby’s health then you can go with this procedure.
When Doc uses Fetal Echocardiography?
As we have mentioned above that not every pregnant woman need a fetal echocardiogram. In most of the cases, the doc can easily find every possible detail with a basic ultrasound which can easily express the whole development of all four chambers of their baby’s heart. But might be in some cases your gynecologist may recommend fetal echocardiography procedure if he didn’t get any proper and conclusive result from the previous test like ultrasound. He can also suggest fetal echocardiography if he detected any abnormal activity in your baby’s heart.
You may also need this test if:
- Your unborn baby has any risk of heart disorder
- If you have a family background of heart disorders.
- This test may also be recommended if the mother has already given birth to a child with a heart defect condition.
- If you have used any drugs or consume alcoholic beverages during your pregnancy.
- If you had been taking certain medications that can cause any heart disorder, such as epilepsy drugs.
You may also need to get this test if you already have other health conditions, such as rubella, diabetes, and lupus.
What are the risks involved in the fetal echo?
If you are worried about any risk form Fetal echo procedure then you don’t have to worry at all it does not have any risks for mother and not even for the unborn baby. In this procedure, the lowest possible ultrasound settings are involved.
What happens during a fetal echo?
For performing the fetal echo procedure it may require a trained pediatric cardiologist, maternal-fetal medicine specialist, an obstetrician.
In general, the steps include:
- You will be lying down on a table or bench and you won’t need to change your clothes for this procedure.
- Then the specialist applies a get on your belly.
- Now, they will use an electronic device which is a transducer and sends sound waves through it.
- Now, the main part is when your specialist moves the transducer on your belly to get the best images of the baby’s heart. You might be feeling pressure when they move the transducer over your belly.
- That’s it once the test gets completed, they wiped off the gel.
In some cases, an endo-vaginal echocardiogram procedure is done in an early stage of pregnancy which concludes the developing child's heartbeat. In this procedure, the specialist put a small echocardiogram tube into the vagina instead of putting it on the belly.
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What are the circumstances after the fetal echo?
Now, circumstances highly depend upon the result of this procedure. In case if everything is normal then there is no need to get worried about, but if doc finds any disputes in your child’s heart then they may suggest more tests or procedures. And it may include:
- Treatment: - In this procedure, the doc may recommend medicine to treat the baby’s heart problems.
- Eye on baby’s movement:- to check the overall health of the unborn baby doc may suggest you regulate and monitor the activity of baby in fetal.
- Non-stress test: - this is a kind of regular check-up in which doc check and monitor the heartbeat of the baby.
- Biophysical profile: - this is an ultrasound exam to regulate the overall health of the baby. It uses to regulate heart rate, breathing, movement, muscle tone, and the amount of amniotic fluid in the baby.
- Ultrasounds or echocardiography: - These are some kind of procedure to be followed to confirm the diagnosis. This procedure also checks the overall baby’s growth, and to look at regular changes in the heart, and check for other issues.
- Amniocentesis: - This test is very useful to check if there is any chromosomal and genetic disorders or any other birth defects.
Why is this test important?
The inclusive result from the ultrasound cannot conclude the exact type of damage is, so that’s why this procedure required. In some cases, the doc doesn’t even find anything from this the procedure so you don’t need to go with any medical routine but if your doctor diagnoses any condition, then he or she will definitely suggest the best treatment for this.
The result from fetal echocardiography helps your doctor to plan any certain required treatments for your which is necessary after delivery, such as correctional surgery. You can also, take help from counseling which helps you make good decisions during your pregnancy
Final Verdicts
So, guys, hope this article will be very helpful for you if you are going to have fetal echocardiography. If you have any query related to this article then you can contact us through the comment section is given below in this article.
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