Fetal Cardiac MRI for More Precise Imaging of Congenital Heart Conditions

Children’s Hospital Colorado is pioneering the use of fetal cardiac MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) for more accurate diagnosis of pediatric congenital heart disease. We’re one of a few centers in the world that can perform this test on the fetal heart. The novel approach provides more detailed images of an unborn baby’s heart than fetal echocardiogram (fetal echo) alone. Fetal echo has limitations in later gestational ages and for certain congenital abnormalities, such as coarctation (narrowing) of the aorta.
Experts at Children’s Colorado, including radiologist Lorna Browne, MD, and pediatric cardiologist Richard Friesen, MD, are using the technology to reduce false-positive diagnoses and to get more information about babies who do have complex cardiac conditions. A special FDA-approved Doppler ultrasound tracks the baby’s heartbeat and communicates with the MRI technology. Then the MRI captures images very quickly to show the fetal heart as it beats. It provides high-quality images of all four chambers, shows the size and function of the baby’s heart and accurately quantifies ventricular volumes. The technique takes about 40 minutes and is safe for both mother and baby, using no injections, dyes or radiation. The test is ideally conducted at 30 to 36 weeks of gestation, when the baby is bigger and moves less.
Drs. Browne and Friesen and their colleagues are also using 4D flow to visualize and measure flow in fetal vasculature. The technique shows the heart’s anatomy in three dimensions and can reveal problems in connections between the heart and vessels. Using machine learning and artificial intelligence, they can determine normal versus abnormal physiology, as well as the severity of a congenital heart defect.
Research at Children’s Colorado has shown that these methods greatly improve prenatal diagnosis, help families understand what to expect going into delivery and help healthcare teams prepare for what might happen in the delivery room and after delivery.
If you would like to be involved in fetal cardiac MRI research, please email [e-mail].
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