Of every 100 babies, one will be born with a congenital heart defect.
In recognition of Congenital Heart Awareness Week, Dr. Heather Sowinski, a pediatric cardiologist at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, sheds light on this vital topic.
Doctors search for any congenital heart defects when babies are about 20 weeks in the womb during an anatomy scan. At that point, the baby's heart is about the size of a quarter.
Not all heart defects require surgery; some require monitoring. However, some fetal interventions are necessary to prevent a baby from being sick upon delivery.
If something is found during the anatomy scan, patients will be referred to a pediatric cardiologist. At that point, mothers are sent to get a fetal echocardiogram.
Receiving these scans helps mothers and doctors plan how to deliver the baby and how to proceed after birth. They can plan treatment and care at the fetal care center, making arrangements with the maternal-fetal medicine team, neonatal team, and cardiology team, amongst other specialties.
For more information, visit spectrumhealth.org.
Medical Moment is sponsored by Corewell Health.
