How many weeks does the fetal heart form? (Important time of fetal heart echo) | Dr. Saeed Bitarafan
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How many weeks does the fetal heart form?
The question that many women ask is that the heart of the fetus is formed in the first week of pregnancy, and if there is a congenital problem in the heart of the fetus, how can it be known through the echo of the heart of the fetus. This question is answered in this article.
When does your baby's heartbeat start?
The baby's heartbeat starts as early as four weeks after conception or six weeks after the first day of the last period. At this time, the delicate and fast movements of the developing heart tube of the fetus can be seen in the ultrasound.
When you realize that you are pregnant, it is possible to see the heartbeat of your baby, which can be one of the first exciting points of your life. Your child's growing heart is working fast; Because this pulse is needed to deliver oxygenated blood and nutrients to other growing organs.
However, when you are in the sixth week of pregnancy; The heart is not fully developed. For this reason, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) defines the wave motion of cells in the early fetal heart tube as "cardiac activity," rather than a heartbeat.
If you have a first-trimester ultrasound (perhaps because you've already had a pregnancy complication), you may see cardiac activity early in pregnancy. This ultrasound can also be used to screen for heart problems, which may be important if there is a family history of congenital heart problems.
If your sonographer can't see the baby's heartbeat during the first ultrasound, it may be too early to see the heartbeat (which is common!). Also if there is no heartbeat. It may be a "missed miscarriage" or a burned egg. This means that the fertilized egg is not developing. Your gynecologist will talk to you about the meaning of the individual ultrasound and your next steps.
The need to refer to a pediatric heart specialist for fetal heart echo
In the following, brief explanations are given regarding the need to perform fetal heart echo.
History of fetal heart echo
Diagnosis of heart disease in the womb has made significant progress over the past fifty-eight years. 1965 is the time when the first report on fetal heartbeat detection by ultrasound was given. With the advancement of technology and human knowledge in this field, today it is possible to observe the structure and function of the fetal heart. Also, various types of arrhythmias (abnormal beats) and structural problems in the heart of the fetus can also be detected.
Prevalence of congenital heart diseases
It is interesting to know that the most common congenital disease that a baby is born with is related to the problems of the baby's heart. The overall prevalence of congenital heart disease is nearly fifty cases per thousand live births. Congenital heart diseases are six times more common than chromosomal abnormalities and four times more common than neural tube defects. The development of congenital heart defects is roughly the interaction of genes, environment and chance. 70-85% of cases of congenital heart disease have multifactorial causes.
However, half of cases of congenital heart disease are minor and easily corrected with surgery. The rest of this group of diseases account for more than half of the deaths caused by congenital anomalies in childhood.
The advances made in the timely diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart diseases have led to a change in the age prevalence of the disease in human societies, so that the number of adults who live with congenital heart diseases is greater than the number of children who live with congenital heart diseases. The reason is the timely diagnosis and treatment of this type of disease. Even some heart diseases can be treated before birth and during the fetal period.
A congenital heart problem
What happens to the fetus after the diagnosis of fetal heart disease is of great concern to parents with these problems. In examining a fetal heart echo, three results may be obtained.
- First, the fetus is healthy. It is very good news for the family that has the possibility of fetal heart problem and their worries will be solved
- The second case is the treatable problems of the heart of the fetus, which is done with timely diagnosis and proper treatment at the right time, and the health of the child of this family is ensured
- Finally, in cases of complex heart problems in the fetus, sometimes there is no treatment, and the problems and complications of continued pregnancy are explained by consultation with the family. And the final decision is made by the family with full knowledge.
The importance of prenatal diagnosis
Prenatal diagnosis of heart lesions in the fetus is very important in that it is possible to plan properly for postnatal treatments before the birth of the baby and obtain potentially better results for newborns with heart problems. He took the best action.
. By week five, the early structures that will become your baby's heart begin beating on their own.</p><p>During these early stages, the heart is like a tube that twists and divides to eventually form the heart and valves (which open and close to direct blood from the heart to the body). Precursor blood vessels also begin to form in the fetus during the first few weeks.</p><p><b>Growth of the second trimester of pregnancy</b></p><p>At seventeen weeks of pregnancy, the brain of the fetus begins to regulate the heart rate in order to prepare for life in the outside world. (Until this stage, the electrical activity of the heart occurs spontaneously).</p><p>Capillaries also form rapidly during the second trimester. These small blood vessels deliver oxygenated blood to the tissues of the baby's body and then return deoxygenated blood to the circulatory system.</p><p>Between weeks seventeen and twenty, the chambers of the heart have grown enough to appear more clearly on an ultrasound. During a second-trimester fetal echocardiogram, the doctor will examine the structure of your baby's heart and check for any congenital heart defects.</p><p>If your doctor needs to listen to and see your baby's heart better. A fetal echocardiogram may be recommended between the 18th and 24th weeks of pregnancy. If you have a family history of congenital heart defects, or if you have diabetes, phenylketonuria, or an autoimmune disease, a fetal echocardiogram should be requested. So that by the thirty-seventh week, it is ready to work outside the womb.</p><h2>How does the heartbeat change during pregnancy?</h2><p>During pregnancy, your baby's heart will continue to grow. The heart rate of the fetus in the first weeks of pregnancy starts with 90 to 110 beats per minute. Around nine to ten weeks of pregnancy, this number increases to 140 to 170 beats per minute and reaches its peak. After that, the normal fetal heart rate is considered to be between 110 and 160 beats per minute in the second and third trimesters. Remember, your baby's heart rate can vary throughout pregnancy and at each prenatal visit.</p><p>If your baby's heart rate is too slow, too fast, or irregular. Your doctor may be concerned. If so, there is a rare possibility that your baby has heart disease. This is why your gynecologist will monitor your baby's heart rate at every visit.</p><p>If your doctor has any concerns about your baby's heart development. He may determine the echocardiogram of the fetus to further examine the heart of the fetus.</p>
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https://www.whattoexpect.comhttps://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/when-can-you-hear-babys-heartbeat#fetal-bpm
Dr. Saeed Bitarfan
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