If there is something wrong with your child’s heart, you want to know right away. And you want the best care as soon as possible. Top doctors at Tufts Medical Center’s Heart Center in Boston have the skills, dedication and technology to provide early treatment and expert care for fetal heart defects. With the use of ultrasound, our pediatric cardiologists can spot structural heart problems in fetuses as young as 19 weeks old. Eight children per thousand are born with heart defects and one per thousand will require surgery, so such early detection is critical. This provides a crucial head start - the sooner structural abnormalities in your child’s heart can be detected, the earlier planning for treatment can start. Our doctors also have the latest ultrasound equipment at their disposal, which allows them to non-invasively identify potential problems in a not yet fully formed fetus.
Pregnancy can be challenging enough, and a serious heart condition in your unborn baby brings more anxiety and concern. The doctors and staff at the Heart Center are committed to personal, family-style care. The center prides itself on having the feel of a semi-private practice in which no questions or concerns go unanswered or phone calls unreturned. Our doctors also work closely with the divisions of Maternal Fetal Medicine and Clinical Genetics, which allows for streamlined testing and more comprehensive care.
There are a range of reasons an expectant mother might consider having an echocardiography exam performed on her unborn child. Family history of congenital heart disease can be a red flag. Diabetes, Lupus and other diseases, drug and alcohol abuse, and the use of certain anti-seizure or prescription acne medications are others. Heart Center cardiologists Mark Zilberman, MD, and Liwen Tang, MD oversee all aspects of fetal echocardiographs, with almost 3,500 cardiac ultrasounds performed each year on fetuses, babies, infants and children of all ages.
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Virtual Appointments Available
Title(s): Pediatric Cardiologist; Clinical Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology Appt. Phone: 617-636-5067 Fax #: 617-636-2354
General pediatric cardiology, echocardiogram, fetal echocardiogram
Title(s): Director, Pediatric Echocardiology and Fetal Cardiology; Director, Adult Congenital Heart Disease Clinic; Pediatric Cardiologist; Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Pediatrics, CardioVascular Center, Pediatric Cardiology Appt. Phone: 617-636-2273 Fax #: 617-636-5913
Adult congenital heart disease, Non-invasive diagnostics
