Maternal psychological stress after prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease.

Objective: To determine whether prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) increases maternal stress.

Study Design: Self-report instruments were administered to mothers carrying a fetus with CHD. Domains included: (1) traumatic stress (Impact of Events Scale-Revised); (2) depression (Beck Depression Index II); and (3) anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Index).

Left ventricle to right ventricle size discrepancy in the fetus: the presence of critical congenital heart disease can be reliably predicted.

Background: Prenatal ventricular size discrepancy with disproportionately smaller left ventricle than right ventricle (L-R/VD) can be a marker for important left-sided structural heart disease in the newborn.

Methods: We reviewed the echocardiograms of all fetuses evaluated at our center with L-R/VD from July 1, 2004 to January 1, 2008.

Results: Of the 35 fetuses, 20 (57%) had critical arch obstruction and underwent neonatal intervention (group 1); 15 (43%) did not require newborn intervention (group 2).

Heterotaxy syndrome with functional single ventricle: does prenatal diagnosis improve survival?

Background: Despite improved outcome for many single ventricle lesions, staged reconstruction for heterotaxy syndrome with a functional single ventricle continues to have a high mortality. Prenatal identification of heterotaxy syndrome may improve long-term survival.

Methods: Our database was reviewed from January 1996 to December 2004 for patients with heterotaxy syndrome.