The Simple Fetal Cardiological Diagnostic Unit deals with the diagnosis of cardiac malformations (congenital heart disease) and arrhythmias of the fetus and newborn.
During the period of pregnancy, the specialists of the Operating Unit are responsible for diagnosing fetal malformations of the heart or vessels and fetal arrhythmias, including the most complex forms.
Parents are followed from the time of diagnosis until the postnatal period (fetal-neonatal care continuity) and fetal cardiological counseling is performed, serial checks to evaluate the evolution of heart disease, the choice of the most suitable type of delivery in collaboration with gynecologists/obstetricians. In the event of complex heart diseases or those requiring cardiac surgery, the Unit’s doctors make contact with the relevant paediatric cardiac surgery services.
The doctors of the Operating Unit are responsible for providing specialist advice to the different departments of the Centre of Excellence for Women and Nascent Children: neonatal intensive and subintensive care, neonatal pathology, delivery room, nursery, obstetrics, obstetric pathology.
After discharge, the children are followed at the dedicated clinic.
Services provided
- Fetal Echocardiography
- Early fetal echocardiography (14-18 weeks)
- Pediatric Cardiology Visit
- Pediatric electrocardiogram
- Pediatric colour Doppler echocardiography
Main conditions treated
- Neonatal congenital heart disease
- Neonatal arrhythmias
- Fetal congenital heart disease
- Fetal arrhythmias
- Evaluation and management of premature and term infants with hemodynamic problems
Outpatient activity
At the neonatal cardiology clinic of the UOS, screening tests are carried out and newborns with cardiological problems are followed. Fetal cardiology activity is divided into a fetal heart disease screening clinic and a dedicated clinic for the evaluation of pregnancies at risk for fetal heart disease or for fetal cardiological problems secondary to other pathologies of the fetus.
Scientific research activities
UOS physicians carry out research in the field of fetal and neonatal congenital heart disease and in the field of neonatal hemodynamics and participate as speakers and moderators in national and international congresses.
Teaching activities
The Fetal and Neonatal Cardiological Diagnostic Unit is included in the tutoring network for the certification of competence in pediatric echocardiography of the Italian Society of Echocardiography and CardioVascular Imaging (SIECVI) and for the certification of competence in functional echocardiography of the newborn of the Italian Society of Neonatology.
The doctors of the unit carry out Teaching activities at:
- Degree Course in Nursing (University of Rome Tor Vergata)
- Degree Course in Obstetrics (University of Rome Tor Vergata)
- Second Level Master’s Degree in Pediatric Cardiology (Sapienza University of Rome)
- Second Level Master’s Degree in Neonatology (Sapienza University of Rome)
The UOS organizes a “Theoretical-practical course in neonatal echocardiography” (for information visit https://www.fondazionefatebenefratelli.it/).
Mon – Fri I 8.30 – 19.00
