Fetal Cardiology Program

Why Choose Us?

Experience: At Riley Children’s, our fetal cardiologists are highly skilled in fetal echocardiography. For convenient access to fetal heart care, we offer fetal echocardiograms at 10 locations across the state, and in 2022, our team completed more than 2,500 exams.

Exceptional Outcomes: For fetal diagnoses requiring surgery, the Riley Heart Center is recognized year after year for lower-than-expected operative mortality by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). STS is the premier international organization promoting cardiothoracic surgery quality and patient safety outcomes.

Specialized Programs: A fully integrated CV genetics program provides testing, evaluation, and consultation for heritable heart conditions. We also offer a unique home monitoring program for infants with single ventricle or complex physiology, heart failure and transplant patients.

Coordinated Care: Whenever possible, our fetal cardiologists work with local and regional obstetricians on a care plan that allows mothers to deliver at their home hospital.

How are Fetal Heart Conditions Diagnosed?

To determine if your unborn baby has a fetal heart condition, a sonographer will perform a fetal echocardiogram, an ultrasound test during pregnancy that evaluates the fetal heart. The test is typically done after 19 weeks gestation and takes about 30 minutes. This test aims to check the baby’s heart structure, identify and monitor heart problems, and check the baby’s growth and development. Fetal echocardiography detects heart abnormalities before birth so our team of highly skilled fetal cardiologists can plan for a safe delivery and care after birth. Fetal cardiac imaging performed early leads to the best possible outcomes.

Planning for Delivery

If testing shows your unborn baby has a heart defect, we partner with the Fetal Center and build a coordinated treatment plan for delivery through a multidisciplinary care conference. At our multidisciplinary care conference, our fetal cardiologists, alongside specialists from maternal-fetal medicine and other disciplines, meet with you at the same time, in the same room, to discuss next steps. Our goal is to develop a treatment plan early in the process to meet the needs of both mother and baby through any intervention and for as long as care is needed.

Delivery Plans

Our fetal cardiologists work closely with your obstetrician, maternal-fetal medicine specialist and other pediatric specialists to determine your best delivery plan. If a heart defect is detected, our multidisciplinary care conference is where we will discuss diagnosis, intervention, delivery and post-delivery care so you are thoroughly informed of what to expect.

For the most complex diagnoses, the Riley Maternity Tower at Riley Hospital for Children provides the highest level of care for both mother and baby – enabling families to remain together following labor and delivery.

After Delivery

If your baby needs heart surgery after birth, our cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) is skilled in caring for babies born with congenital heart disease. Our CVICU delivers advanced diagnostic, monitoring, and life support technology. In addition, we offer multidisciplinary care, a family-centered approach, and the management of adult congenital heart defects.

Preparing to Go Home

We develop a personalized discharge plan for your child, which may include follow-up appointments. Our nurses also provide training and support while your child is in the hospital so you can learn to care for your child following discharge. Discharge planners and nurse navigators communicate with families often to ensure all questions are answered.

Continuing Care

We provide support for neurodevelopmental conditions that occur because of a fetal diagnosis and offer a home monitoring program for follow-up care. Genetic testing and counseling also assess “why” congenital heart disease has occurred and helps with discussing the future risks of having a child with congenital heart disease.