The Fetus as a Cardiac Patient: Assessment and Therapy of Cardiovascular Pathology before Birth
1Fetal Cardiovascular Program, University of California San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue Box 0214, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
2Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
3Department of High Risk Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Missenden Road, Camperdown Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
4Pediatric Surgery and Fetal Treatment Center, University of California San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue Box 0570, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
5Fetal Cardiac Unit and Department of Pediatrics, Monash University, Clayton 3168, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
The Fetus as a Cardiac Patient: Assessment and Therapy of Cardiovascular Pathology before Birth
Description
The past few decades have seen major advances in evaluation and treatment of fetal cardiovascular diseases. Recognition of structural pathology in the developing human heart can now be seen by ultrasound as early as the 12th week of pregnancy. Detailed assessment of cardiac rhythm, function, and myocardial mechanics is now possible. Several centers now incorporate fetal cardiovascular assessment routinely in the evaluation of diseases such as CCAM, TTTS, and CDH in which structural heart disease may impose significant comorbidity postnatally while functional pathology secondary to the primary process may impact the fetus in utero. Recognition of treatable fetal cardiac disease may be altering the prognosis for these patients in the perinatal period, as in utero treatment of the primary disease may improve the hemodynamic derangements. Regardless of training and background, healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis and management of diseases of the fetus and newborn need to be cognizant of the potential contribution of prenatal cardiac assessment and treatment in the congenitally malformed or unwell fetus.
We invite authors to present original research or review articles that will add to the growing body of literature on the assessment of the cardiovascular system in the fetus and prenatal/perinatal therapy for cardiovascular pathology in this unique group of patients.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- Prenatal detection of structural or functional heart disease and impact on outcomes and natural history of disease
- Fetal intervention for structural, functional, or rhythm pathology
- Role of fetal cardiac assessment in evaluation and treatment of noncardiac diseases of the fetus
- Prenatal/perinatal assessment of other organ systems at risk for injury in the presence of cardiovascular pathology
- Choices during the perinatal period: impact of prenatal diagnosis, cost analysis, addressing nonaggressive management after birth
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