Effectiveness Of Prenatal Diagnosis Of Congenital Heart Defects, South Australia

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 02 Jan 2009 - 2:00 PST

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This population analysis reports on the efficacy of prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) using fetal echocardiography and South Australia's current obstetric screening program.

Being a sensitive and specific tool for detecting CHD, fetal echocardiography is a much more accurate means for detecting structural defects in fetal hearts as compared to the routine obstetric screenings.

However, the required infrastructure and costs to provide routine fetal echocardiography would be prohibitive. Researchers suggest a two-tier system that screens the population and selects the higher risk groups for detailed fetal echocardiography.

"Effectiveness of Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Defects in South Australia: A Population Analysis 1999-2003"
Nee Scze Khoo, Phillipa Van Essen, Malcolm Richardson and Terry Robertson.
Click here to view abstract online.

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Volume 48 Issue 6, December 2008)
http://www.ranzcog.edu.au/publications/anzjog.shtml