Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Cardiac disease in pregnancy echocardiography
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Echocardiograhy does not carry the risk of fetal irradiation and it is a safe and preferred screening method to assess cardiac function and valvular lesions in the pregnant patient.
Echocardiography
Echocardiography
Maternal Echocardiographic Findings
- There is a progressive increase in chamber dimension with:
- ~20% increase in the size of the right atrium and the right ventricle,
- ~12% increase in left atrial size, and
- ~6% increase in left ventricular size.
- Following delivery, the above changes gradually return to their pre-gestational baseline size.
- In addition, there is early and progressive dilation of the mitral, tricuspid, and pulmonary annuli which is associated with an increase in valvular regurgitation.
Fetal Echocardiography
Fetal echocardiography is 96% sensitive in detecting major structural malformations (72/74 abnormalities identified among 1,022 fetuses) and is useful for genetics counseling and management during pregnancy and postpartum.
Indications for Echocardiography
- Pregnant women at high-risk for structural heart disease with:
- History of congenital heart disease themselves or in previous children.
- Presence of diabetes or collagen vascular disease– predisposing factor for congenital heart disease.
- History of a fetal arrhythmia
- Consumption of teratogens
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief:Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S. [2]