Congenital Heart Defects - Screening and Prevention - Screening and Prevention

It is sometimes possible to detect congenital heart defects before your baby is born.

Echocardiography is a painless test that uses sound waves to create moving pictures of the heart. Your doctor may recommend a fetal echocardiogram during pregnancy if the routine ultrasound shows any sign that your developing baby may have a heart defect or if you have risk factors for congenital heart defects.

Fetal echocardiography is usually done at 18 to 22 weeks. If an echocardiogram is done before 16 weeks, your doctor may have to repeat the screening later to make sure any subtle heart defects are captured.

Pulse oximetry determines whether a newborn has low levels of oxygen in the blood, which may be a symptom of critical congenital heart defects. This test is recommended for all newborns in the United States.

Pulse oximetry is done when the baby is more than 24 hours old or before the baby is sent home, if the baby is being sent home less than 24 hours after birth. The test involves attaching sensors to the baby’s hands or feet to measure oxygen levels.

Low oxygen levels in the blood could be due to a congenital heart defect or could be a sign that something else is wrong. If your child has low oxygen levels, the doctor may have the test repeated or may have your child undergo more specific tests to diagnose a congenital heart defect.

While you cannot always prevent a congenital heart defect, you can take steps to lower your and your baby’s risk. Learn about the prevention strategies your doctor may recommend based on your risk factors.

• Avoid certain medicines if you are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant. Talk to your doctor about what medicines you take and what is safe to take during pregnancy.
• Control existing conditions, such as diabetes and phenylketonuria, which increase your risk of having a baby with a congenital birth defect.
• Meet with a genetic counselor if you, your spouse, or one of your children have a congenital heart disease and you are planning to have another child. A genetic counselor can answer questions about the risks and explain the choices that are available.
• Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.

• Diagnosis will discuss tests and procedures that your doctor may use to diagnose types of congenital heart defects.
• Living With will explain what your doctor may recommend to manage your condition and prevent it from getting worse or causing complications.
• Research for Your Health will explain how we are using current research and advancing research on congenital heart defects.
• Participate in NHLBI Clinical Trials will explain our ongoing clinical studies that are investigating prevention strategies for congenital heart defects.