During pregnancy, if your doctor just said the word “echo” and you went home feeling nervous, please take a breath. Right!! Many parents experience this.
A fetal echo, short for echocardiogram, is a kind of ultrasound. The fetal echo looks closely at the heart of your baby while the baby is still growing in the womb. Remember this: if your doctors often suggest an echo, it is not because something is wrong; it is because the doctor wants to see a more detailed picture. Here is what a fetal echo is really about, why a doctor might ask for one, what will happen after you go to an appointment, and what things the doctor examines closely.
What is meant by Fetal Echo Scan?
The ultrasound shows how the baby is growing, how the organs are working, and the quantity of amniotic fluid present around the baby. In the same way, the fetal echo scan can be used to check the overall heart condition of the baby and the overall growth and development of the baby's heart through detailed monitoring.
The doctor uses high-frequency sound waves to create a moving picture of the heart of your baby in real time. The specialist checks the four chambers, the valves that move blood, the big blood vessels, and how fast the heart is beating. The fetal echo is a scan. This means the fetal echo is like the ultrasounds you have already had. The fetal echo focuses much more deeply on the heart.
Why Was I Referred for Fetal Echo?
This is usually the question that every parent asks. It is important to say: being sent for an echo does not mean your baby has a heart problem or any abnormality.
Doctors suggest an echo for many reasons, not only for having any problem or any abnormality but also to check and monitor the baby's safety. You might be told to get an echo if:
- A regular scan showed something that needs a closer look
- The heart rhythm of your baby looked a bit strange on an earlier check
- You have a health issue, like diabetes, that can affect how the heart of your baby grows
- There is a history of heart issues in your family
- Another test showed something that your doctor wants to check again.
In many cases, the doctor orders a fetal echo just to be extra careful. The fetal echo is a way to check a box and be sure everything is okay, not a sign that something's wrong. Many parents walk out of an echo with nothing but good news.
When Is It Usually Done?
Most fetal echoes happen during the trimester, between 18 and 24 weeks. At this time, the heart of your baby has grown enough for a specialist to see it clearly.
However, the timing can change. If your pregnancy is seen as a risk, the doctor might want a fetal echo sooner. Sometimes the doctor might suggest a scan. This is not because the first fetal echo failed. It is easier to see parts of the heart as the baby grows bigger.
What Happens During the Scan?
During the fetal echo scan, the doctor primarily examines the four chambers of the heart, the valves, the vessels, and the rhythm of the heart. The doctor might also use a Doppler ultrasound (used to measure the speed and direction of blood flow in the baby, umbilical cord, and placenta); this allows the specialist to see how blood flows through the heart and vessels. It is the safe ultrasound technology you have used before, only applied more carefully.
Is It Safe and What Can and Can't It Detect?
A fetal echo scan can be done through ultrasound; this is the technology used in all your other scans. There is no radiation problem with these scans, so no problem for the baby.
What a fetal echo can detect is important. A fetal echo is very good at spotting heart problems in the baby during the pregnancy between 18 and 24 weeks.
The scan can detect if there is any problem with the chambers, valves, or rhythm. It is important to know that a fetal echo cannot see everything. Some small issues are hard to catch before birth. Some problems appear later in the pregnancy. Some only appear after the baby is born.
If Something Is Found
If the fetal echo shows a problem, your doctor will not leave you uncertain. The doctor will explain what was seen and what it might mean. Depending on the findings, the next steps might be:
- Doing another echo to be sure
- Checking often with extra scans
- Talking to a genetic counselor
- Seeing a heart doctor for the baby if there is any abnormality.
Remember that if any abnormality is detected during a fetal echo scan, it does not always mean there is a permanent problem; some can be resolved in the early stage and before birth.
Conclusion:
A fetal echo scan is a type of ultrasound scan that allows doctors to get a close look at your baby's heart while they are still in the womb. So, if your doctor asks you to go through this scan, do not panic or jump to conclusions. There is no need to think that something is wrong because, in most cases, it is just recommended to get an accurate picture of how your baby's heart looks and to ensure that he or she will get proper care during the pregnancy.
About the Doctor
Dr. Naren Satya
Consultant Radiologist
Naren Ultrasound and Fetal Medicine Center, Visakhapatnam
Related Topics