Fetal cardiology specializes in the prenatal diagnosis and management of congenital heart disease or arrhythmias in the fetus.

Pregnant women are referred to the clinic because of a family history of congenital heart defects, personal health problems such as diabetes, or other factors that increase the risk of having a child with congenital heart disease.

A pregnant woman might also be referred because of concern about fetal heart abnormalities noted during a routine obstetrical ultrasound.

Coordinated Care

If a fetal cardiac problem is confirmed, then the mother and fetus will be followed in the clinic until the baby is delivered. Prenatal care of the fetus will be coordinated between pediatric cardiologists in the Fetal Cardiology Clinic, obstetricians in the maternal-fetal medicine division, neonatalogists, cardiac intensivists, and the pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons.

Opportunities for prenatal consultation with pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, social work, and maternal-fetal medicine, as well as orientation tours of the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units are available.

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Barker, Piers C. A.
• Camitta, Michael G. W.
• Milazzo, Angelo S.
• Miller, Stephen G.

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke Children's Cardiology of Fayetteville
  3427 Melrose Road, Fayetteville, NC 28304
• Duke Children's Consultative Services of Raleigh
  3713 Benson Dr., Suite 202, Raleigh, NC 27609
• Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center
  2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710
• Duke Perinatal Consultants of Greensboro
  1126 N. Church St., Suite 203, Greensboro, NC 27401