Effectiveness of Prenatal Screening for Congenital Heart Disease in the Province of Alberta

• Author / Creator

  Trines, Sharon Jean

• Ultrasound technology has been available for several decades with it’s origins in science, industry and military innovations. Ultrasound imaging is a non invasive procedure used for many diagnostic purposes, and is a standard of care for pregnant women. Fetal growth can be followed and congenital anomalies, including congenital heart disease (CHD), can be identified. Screening for CHD is performed as part of routine prenatal care, usually between 18 to 24 weeks gestation. The effectiveness of screening for CHD in Alberta or Canada is not known but is low in other jurisdictions. This thesis: describes the impact of CHD on the patient, family and health care system; defines the capabilities of fetal echocardiography; determines the proportion of fetuses with CHD detected prenatally in Alberta; reports risk factors for missed disease; and describes clinical outcomes for those with and without a prenatal diagnosis.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Province of Alberta
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Prenatal detection

• Graduation date

  Spring 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3HX3Z

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.