Diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure in the Fetus

Karen Sliwa

The fetus will be treated at the Perinatal Cardiology Specialty Center. Clinical evaluation of the fetus relies heavily on ultrasound, but other methods are being explored. Fetal heart rate monitoring using unfocused ultrasound can detect abnormal changes in heart rate. The lack of normal variability indicates damage to the central nervous system, usually as a result of ischemia.