Prenatal diagnosis of fetal arrhythmias.
Life-threatening fetal arrhythmias are rare and warrant sophisticated specialty prenatal care, often provided by maternal-fetal medicine obstetricians, and pediatric and adult cardiologists. This medical field is in quick transition, and new methods of diagnosis and treatment of the fetus with arrhythmias are emerging. In this article, the mechanisms of arrhythmias are presented in light of recent progress in the new field of fetal electrophysiology. Treatments are reviewed with recommendations based on the small number of series of fetal tachycardia and fetal atrioventricular (AV) block drug treatment strategies published to date. Finally, a summary of areas of potential future research is provided.
Strasburger
Janette F
JF
Medical College of Wisconsin, and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, 9000 West Wisconsin Avenue, MS 713, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA. jstrasbu@mcw.edu
D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis