Fetal Heart Program frequently asked questions

It’s important to recognize that nothing you did caused your baby’s congenital heart condition. In the vast majority of cases, we don’t know why a baby’s heart developed differently — the heart defect could have occurred spontaneously, or it could be some combination of genetic and environmental factors. Sometimes there’s a family history of congenital heart disease. In other cases, a baby is born with a genetic condition (such as down syndrome) that can be associated with heart complications. About one percent of children are born with congenital heart disease (CHD), making it the most common birth defect.

In most cases, we believe it is best to wait until the baby is born so we can get a better look at their heart and decide on the best course of action. In rare cases where prenatal intervention is warranted, we can refer you to another center that offers those procedures. Children’s Wisconsin does not perform prenatal heart interventions.

In the meantime, the most important thing you can do is take care of yourself so you have as healthy of a pregnancy as possible. That means keeping up with your regular medical appointments and taking any medications that your doctor has prescribed. If you have diabetes or blood pressure problems, treating those conditions will reduce your risk of pregnancy complications, helping to ensure that your baby has the best start to life.

A fetal echocardiogram, sometimes called “fetal echo” for short, is an ultrasound test that allows us to see an unborn baby’s heart structures and function. This helps us get babies the right care more quickly after birth, improving the chance of survival for newborns with serious heart defects. It is noninvasive and is very similar to a typical pregnancy ultrasound, except it is conducted by a fetal cardiologist or a sonographer who is trained to evaluate fetal hearts. This procedure is completely safe for the mother and baby. Learn more about fetal echocardiograms.

About 10 percent of newborns with a heart defect require a critical intervention in the first week or two after birth, which could involve surgery or medication to sustain life. In many cases, babies are able to go home right away but may need to return for surgery or other procedure at some point in the future. The timeline will depend on your baby’s specific diagnosis and the severity of their condition.

Some babies may only need a minor procedure that can be done in our state-of-the-art pediatric cardiac catheterization lab or might only need to be monitored to see how their heart functions over time. If surgery is recommended for your baby, our pediatric heart surgeons are happy to meet with you to answer any questions, even before delivery.

The fetal cardiologist will discuss your baby’s specific needs with you. If your child’s condition appears more minor, you might be able to deliver at your home hospital. Infants who require more care immediately after birth will need to be delivered in Milwaukee at the Froedtert Hospital Birth Center, which is conveniently connected to Children’s Wisconsin.

If you are using an OB outside of our system, you can still continue to follow up with your regular OB until delivery. We will work to ensure a seamless transition of care for you and your baby.

A vaginal birth is still possible. Even if your baby needs intensive care, we can usually still give mom and baby some time to bond and have skin-to-skin contact before we transfer your little one to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) for further evaluation and care.

Thanks to advancements in prenatal screening and postnatal treatment options, more kids with heart disease are surviving into adulthood. In fact, there are now more adults with congenital heart disease than kids! Even children who undergo significant corrective surgeries can live a relatively normal life, playing and participating in sports the same as any other kid.

Because survival rates are so high, Children’s Wisconsin is now focused on making sure our heart patients have the longest and healthiest lives possible. We do this through a variety of innovative programs that support our heart families beyond the clinic, including:

• Cardiac Developmental Follow-Up Program
• Educational Achievement Partnership Program
• Healthy Hearts Program
• Fontan survivorship Program