title: Outcome of fetal echocardiography: a 17 year single-institution experience in Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the influence of prenatal diagnosis on perinatal outcomes of congenital heart disease (CHD) over a 17 year period at a single center.
  
  
  METHODS
  The perinatal outcome of CHD in 146 patients diagnosed on fetal echocardiography between 1994 and 2010 were reviewed. The characteristics of 193 neonatal inpatients with CHD treated at the authors' department between 2001 and 2010 were also analyzed; among the inpatients, 61 were diagnosed before birth (prenatal group) and 132 were diagnosed after birth (postnatal group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 146 patients prenatally diagnosed with CHD, the prenatal mortality, including abortion and stillbirth, decreased from 1994 to 2010. Among the 193 neonatal inpatients, the prenatal group had lower gestational age and bodyweight than the postnatal group. Further, the prenatal group had lower blood pH at admission, but no patient in that group experienced ductal shock, although six patients in the postnatal group did. The average dose of prostaglandin E1 used in duct-dependent CHD was significantly lower in the prenatal group than in the postnatal group (3.4 vs. 4.6 ng/kg per min; P = 0.015).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prenatal diagnosis of CHD enables planned labor, prevents ductal shock, and reduces prostaglandin E1 side-effects and medical expenditure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan. b_walk@mac.com
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Yoshimichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aoyagi
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitomo
authors.forename: Kisei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Momoi
authors.forename: Mitsuaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosoya
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*