Advancing prenatal clinical care for fetal congenital heart disease.
Mission
The Fetal Cardiovascular Center combines the clinical components of fetal cardiovascular health with the advancement of research on the primary subject of fetal origin of adult disease.
Lifesaving Research
A staggering 40,000 babies are born with a heart defect each year in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. We're working to address that issue.
Our investigators are using high-tech ultrasound tools to conduct cutting-edge research in fetal cardiovascular diseases and placental function. With these new discoveries, we hope to develop improved therapies for fetal congenital heart disease.
Educational Offerings
The Fetal Cardiovascular Center offers continuing education for regional and national care providers in the area of ultrasound and fetal assessment through the following venues:
- Annual training, through educational CME activity, to increase effectiveness of screening and improve prenatal detection of congenital heart disease
- A national educational course on fetal echocardiography with topics related to screening, diagnosis and management of pregnancies with congenital heart disease
- Information in local and regional newsletters and publications regarding the prevention of fetal cardiovascular malformations
- Visiting fellowships for physicians and sonographers from various countries for training in fetal echocardiography
Our institute is one of the very few in the country to have integrated ultrasound technology into its medical student curriculum. Medical students have the opportunity to select an elective in high-risk obstetrics during their fourth-year rotations.
Expertise in Fetal Echocardiography and Ultrasound
Our faculty are renowned for their prenatal diagnosis of fetal congenital heart disease and research in fetal cardiovascular disease.
, President, Provost, and Dean of the School of Medicine, Mason C. Andrews Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is leading a $2.725 million NIH study that aims to identify early signs of pregnancy complications within the placenta. He has also authored two fetal echocardiography textbooks, one of which has received international acclaim.
