The Fetal Cardiology Program, which includes specialists from the Heart Center and The Chicago Institute for Fetal Health, ensures that families expecting a new baby with heart concerns receive the best diagnostic and counseling care available.
Our fetal heart program provides specialized ultrasound imaging of the fetal heart during pregnancy (fetal echocardiography). Each year, our pediatric cardiologists perform more than 2,000 fetal echocardiograms at multiple sites in the greater Chicago area, with a diagnostic accuracy that exceeds 95%. The pediatric cardiologist is able to provide immediate results and counseling at the time of the scan.
Our partnership with Prentice Women's Hospital allows Lurie Children’s to offer comprehensive heart care for expectant mothers’ babies, as well as their newborn infants. Prentice is connected to Lurie Children's by a bridged walkway, enabling rapid intervention by our cardiology team in cases of complex heart disease. It also provides seamless transition of the newborn’s care to the state-of-the-art Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit at Lurie Children’s.
Our cardiac surgical team at Lurie Children’s is supported by neonatologists, dedicated cardiac anesthesiologists and our team of cardiac intensivists and dedicated cardiac nurses. We participate in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons database, and our surgical outcomes are in the top 5% of 111 participating programs in the United States and Canada.
Our Fetal Cardiac Nurse Coordinator Nicole Heilemann ensures that families have access to the cardiac team throughout the pregnancy, and the support and resoures needed. To contact Nicole, please email fetalhealth@luriechildrens.org.