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Fetal Cardiology Program
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Home Clinical Services Fetal Cardiology Program Who We Treat
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Many expectant parents come to the Fetal Cardiology Program at Children's Hospital Boston when their child is diagnosed with a heart defect. They come for confirmation of the diagnosis and a treatment plan for their child's heart defect. In some instances, they come to Children's for a defect that could potentially be treated before the baby is born.

Other parents come to the program for diagnosis when there is a history of heart disease in their family and they want to make sure that their baby's heart is healthy before birth so they can plan for the best possible care for their baby.

What is a congenital heart defect?
A congenital heart defect is a heart problem that occurs while the heart is still developing and is present at birth. Defects can range from holes between heart chambers to more severe defects, such as a blocked heart valves or heart chambers that are underdeveloped. Types of congenital heart defects include aortic stenosis, pulmonary atresia, and hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Depending upon the condition, a congenital heart defect can make it harder for the baby's heart to pump blood to the body. Eventually, the extra stress causes the heart to weaken and become less efficient. Children's Fetal Cardiology Program is one of the nation's premier programs that attempts to repair selected congenital heart defects while the baby is still in utero.

How can I find out if my baby has a heart defect?
If there is a history of heart disease in your family and you want to make sure that your baby's heart is healthy, you can schedule an appointment for a prenatal evaluation and diagnosis.

Children's doctors use the most advanced and accurate diagnostic tests to determine the health of your baby's heart. Tests may include amniocentesis, fetal ultrasound, fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and fetal echocardiogram. See Diagnosing Heart Defects for more information on these diagnostic tests.

Types of heart defects treated at Children's Hospital Boston
At Children's, we specialize in treating a wide range of congenital heart conditions in babies before and after they are born. The most common defects we treat include:
  • Aortic Stenosis: This is a narrowing of the aortic valve of the heart that obstructs blood flow throughout the body. The severe form of aortic stenosis can lead to a serious defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

  • Pulmonary Atresia: This is a malformation of the pulmonary valve that obstructs the outflow of blood from the heart to the lungs. This can lead to underdevelopment of the right ventricle.

  • Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome with a restrictive atrial communication: This is an underdevelopment of the left ventricle of the heart that results in inadequate blood flow throughout the body.
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