The Spectrum Of Congenital Heart Diseases Determined By Fetal Echocardiography In Risky Pregnancies

The aim of the study is to evaluate the fetal echocardiography results of high and low risk pregnancies for congenital heart diseases in our clinic between June 2011-January 2012. A total of 351 pregnant who underwent a full fetal echocardiographic examination were included in the study. Pregnant women were classified as high and low risk groups according to their admission reasons. The two groups were evaluated for the type of congenital heart disease and its prevalence.The prevalence of congenital heart disease in high and low risk pregnancies were found as 16.7% and 5.7%, respectively. The most frequently detected congenital heart disease was ventricular septal defect. Self-admission (36.1%) was the most frequent reason in low risk pregnancy group, while maternal diabetes (8.9%) was the most common among maternal factors, polihydramnios/oligohydramnios in fetal factors (1.9%) and fetal anomalies in previous pregnancies (1.2%) in hereditary factors were common in high risk group. Fetal echocardiography is a useful technique for early diagnosis of congenital heart diseases, providing consuling for families and to prepare for the required interventions after the birth. Fetal echocardiography should be performed on high risk pregnancies. However, in low risk pregnancies fetal echocardiography may also be performed on selected cases.