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Antenatal Diagnosis
Being told your baby has a problem with its heart is both shocking and frightening for parents, as in many cases it may not be possible to make an accurate diagnosis until the twentieth week of pregnancy.
There are many different congenital heart defects (problems that the baby is born with). Some are minor problems such as heart murmers which may not need any treatment. Others, although more serious, can be corrected with an operation.
The third group are extremely serious conditions. A series of surgical operations can be offered to allow a chance of life, but the child will never be cured of their condition. The child has to learn to live within lifestyle restrictions and, as a result, has an uncertain future.
The aim of this information is to help parents understand these extremely serious abnormalities of the heart, what implications they will have for their baby and what treatment choices they have.
The Normal Heart and the Circulation Before Birth
In order to understand what is wrong with your baby's heart, it is important to have an understanding of how a normal heart works and how the heart works whilst the baby is still within the womb.
Click on the links below or in the side menu to learn more about how the heart works (will open in a seperate window).
Understanding Your Baby's Condition
A detailed account of each specific heart abnormality (with diagrams) will be discussed with you by the Fetal Cardiac Specialist. You can find out more about each single ventricle heart problem on our website by clicking on the links below (will open in a seperate window):
You can print of the above information or ask for a printed copy by
contacting us. You may find it helpful to take a copy to future appointments with your medical team so that together you can use it as a tool to help gain a greater understanding of the heart problem.
You may also find it useful to take our list of
Questions to Ask. Although we try to answer many of these questions here your Fetal Cardiac Specialist will be able to give you more detailed answers about your baby.
Why has my baby got something wrong with its heart?
The baby's heart is being formed at around the fifth week of a pregnancy, just at the stage you realise you are pregnant. In most cases it is impossible to give a specific reason for there being a heart defect. In the majority of cases the reason is not currently known. However, there are a number of factors which are known to increase the risk of having a baby with heart problems such as:
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A history of previous children, either parent or other families having had a congenital (born with) heart problem.
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There may be a fault in the baby's genetic make-up which has caused the heart defect.
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Diabetes in the mother, particularly if poorly controlled.
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Illegal drug abuse or serious alcoholism.
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Some medications such as those used for the treatment of epilepsy carry a small risk of causing heart problems, but are essential for the mother to keep her healthy and well.
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Other problems with the baby, for example, stomach or bowel.
Parents often worry that they are responsible in some way for the baby's heart condition, but it is highly unlikely that there is anything you have done or not done which would have caused the problem.
The Choices
Having received the diagnosis and the results of any subsequent tests, the specialist medical team will explain the treatment options available.
In the case of a single ventricle disorder where there is no opportunity of a cure, three treatment paths may be discussed.
Below is a list of links to other pages on our website you may find helpful: