Fetal Cardiology

During the first eight weeks of gestation, your baby’s heart forms — starting as a tube-shaped structure that twists and divides to form the heart and heart valves. Sometimes developmental abnormalities (congenital heart diseases) or heart rhythm abnormalities can occur. Also, genetic conditions and health problems in the mother may contribute to fetal heart problems.

Our Fetal Cardiac Intervention team brings together experts in maternal-fetal medicine, fetal and interventional cardiology, anesthesia, pediatric cardiac surgery, neonatology and other specialties to provide care for mothers and their unborn babies with congenital heart defects that may benefit from in utero interventions.

Our Approach to Fetal Cardiology

NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital has a long history of perinatal management of the most complex and critical congenital heart disease. The Fetal Cardiology program draws on the expertise of ColumbiaDoctors to provide exceptional in utero treatment of select fetal cardiac defects.

When concern arises that an unborn baby may have a congenital heart disease or heart rhythm abnormality, our fetal cardiologists can offer:

• Expert evaluation and diagnosis. Each year, we perform more than 1,900 fetal echocardiograms perform on fetuses with suspected heart defects and provide consultation to over 1,000 families.
• State-of-the-art fetal cardiac imaging. Using fetal echocardiography, we can detect heart abnormalities that may be candidates for intervention as early as 16 weeks. Early detection allows us to develop a treatment plan and even treat the condition before the baby is born. 
• Comprehensive care. Our fetal cardiac program is part of the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics, which allows families to receive care from a multidisciplinary team dedicated to providing precise diagnoses and the best treatment options.

Conditions We Treat

The Fetal Cardiac Intervention Program offers catheter-based therapies for the following forms of congenital heart disease:

• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). A critical congenital heart defect, children affected by HLHS face significant lifelong morbidities. Effective treatment requires a series of surgeries after birth. Our experts are trained in fetal cardiac interventions aimed at lessening the severity or even preventing the development, of HLHS using advanced fetal cardiac procedures. This may lead to fewer complications after birth and potentially better outcomes. Treatment options include:
• Critical aortic stenosis with evolving hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS)
• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) with restrictive/intact atrial septum
• Pulmonary valve atresia with intact ventricular septum

Referrals & Appointments

For 12 consecutive years, U.S News & World Report has ranked NewYork-Presbyterian in more pediatric specialties than any other children’s hospital in the New York metropolitan area. We’ve consistently earned this high honor because of our dedication to providing children and their families the highest quality care.

Refer A Patient

To refer a patient to our Fetal Cardiac Intervention team and to discuss a potential candidate for fetal intervention, please call the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics at 212-305-3151 or 1-877-THE-BABY (843-2229).