Show of hands: how many of yall had fetal echos?

[pooh8402]

during IVF pregnancies?

My first pregnancy, my OB didn't require one. She said that if they saw something concerning on the anatomy scan, that she would refer me for one at that time. She basically treated me as low-risk the whole time.

This time, I'm with a new OB that refers all ultrasounds out to MFM, even for low-risk pregnancies. I had an ultrasound today, and they want me back in 6 weeks for the anatomy scan and for fetal echo since it was IVF. I mean, I'll get it done because I'm a medical nerd and always interested in seeing this kind of stuff. I just hate being treated as high-risk before there's an indication.

I did find reports of a recent study that showed a 45% relative increase in congenital heart defects after conception with IVF/ICSI (which we did both times) but the absolute increase is from 0.68% (spontaneous conceptions) to 1.3% (IVF/ICSI conceptions).

Thoughts?

(don't have access to the study itself)

newsroom.wiley.com/press-release/wiley-research-headlines/vitro-fertilization-linked-increased-risk-congenital-heart-de

www.healio.com/internal-medicine/gynecology-obstetrics/news/online/%7Be3d59541-b281-487e-931a-27c99b39d724%7D/ivficsi-techniques-may-increase-risk-for-congenital-heart-defects-in-newborns

[ivy]

I'm in the same situation as you. I did the NT scan with my first at a MFM and they mentioned doing a fetal echo. I mentioned it to my OB and they said they would take a good look during the anatomy scan and refer me if they saw something. I am getting one this time really only because I'm already seeing a MFM due to twin pregnancy. Probably not terribly helpful, sorry!

[mpc]

I didn't do IVF but I had a fetal echo with my first two kids. Both times I was referred to MFM after anatomy scan for an unrelated issue, and they did the echo as part of their standard care. Of course this time I am with the same MFM and didn't get the echo, so what do I know. But this time I was referred later, after 30 weeks, maybe that had something to do with it?

[megamous]

I had a fetal echo. (two actually). Like PP I was referred out to a MFM for the NT scan, anatomy scan, echo, and for NSTs. But I don't know if it was just because of IVF or because I have other risk factors. I was advanced maternal age (35) and have pre-existing diabetes. I didn't really question the why though. They did find what might be a hole in his heart, but the pediatric cardiologist who came in for the second echo thought he just might have floppy flap.

[kellikans]

I never did one. My OB sends patients out to a MFM for the anatomy scan, so I was seeing one regardless. Everything looked good cardiac wise, so they didn't do anything further with that. Anatomy scan was when we discovered that baby was IUGR, so I ended up seeing the MFM frequently for growth scans. She always checked his heart at those appointments, too. Just nothing in depth since everything always looked fine.

I do remember asking about it, and they said that just because he was conceived through IVF it wasn't automatic.

[King26]

We had it done because our OB also had any IVF patients do fetal echos. Turns out after our anatomy scan we would have needed it anyhow because they couldn't see one chamber of the heart. It was pretty cool to see it in depth.

[thoseareradishes]

I also did my anatomy scan with the MFM, and we did a fetal echo. I was under the impression that it was recommended for IVF babies because of the increased risk of heart issues, but I never researched it.

[grover]

I did IUI but was sent for a fetal echo/anatomy scan with the MFM for DD.

[pandora89]

We did IVF, we did not have to do a fetal echo, my OB did not treat the pregnancy as high risk at all. My OB was away for one of my appointments and so another OB in the hospital did the normal appointment and suggested an additional ultrasound "because it was an IVF pregnancy" and when I spoke to my OB at my next appointment, he scoffed at that and said there was no need.

[Chrysanthemum]

We were requested to do the fetal echo because the pregnancy was IVF. It’s actually a sore spot with me because they “found something” during the appointment and scared the shit out of us. I cried driving home, convinced my miracle baby had something wrong. There was some opening in a valve/flap that shouldn’t have been there. We had a follow-up fetal echo 8 weeks later and another appointment when he was 7 days old. It was all nothing in the end. Basically if you look so closely at a developing heart, you’ll see something developing. The cardiologist at the 7 day old scan was so confused why we were there and assured us his heart is completely normal. He’s a happy and healthy 20 month old now. I say all that, not to worry you, but to reassure you that even if they do “find something,” it might not be anything.

[EllieT]

They do not treat IVF pregnancies any different from “normally conceived ” pregnancies here. The only time they even mentioned it at all was when the first ultrasound dated the pregnancy a few days further along, then they said since it’s IVF we will just keep your original due date. That’s it, IVF was never mentioned again. So no echo for us.

[turboteal]

I didn't end up having one.

I have a friend who did IVF a few years ago and had one, so she told me early in the process that I would. When I asked my RE about it, they said there was a slight increase in cardiac defects for babies from ivf/icsi, so they would recommend doing it. My OB once I switched seemed ok with doing it but not insistent, he has definitely treated me as completely low risk normal patient. My anatomy scan was done/read by an MFM, in that report they did mention doing an echo based on ivf, but not that they saw anything concerning. When I asked my ob again around 28 weeks he said I could do it, but everything looked normal on anatomy scan and he didn't really think I needed to have one. He also said one of his colleagues (high risk/mfm doc who he has worked with for years and still works at our hospital for certain things, on the ethics committee/does any terminations, also a lawyer and advises our entire OB department on legal issues) doesn't routinely recommend them just for IVF.

So I am trusting the anatomy scan and my OB that it's not necessary, but it also doesn't seem unusual that some OBs want it done.

[boiler717]

We did not have a fetal echo. They did schedule our a/s with MFM on a day when the fetal cardiologist was in the office. Should they saw something that needed further eval we would have gone right there to have the echo. We did not need one.

[loira]

Yes to fetal echo, but did not do IVF so I'm the SS vote.

[midwest07]

Two IVF w/ ICSI pregnancies here. OB and RE never mentioned doing a fetal echo. If they had, I would have, I generally am into more info is better and the doctor recommendations. With my second, I was over 35 so the ultrasounds are done at the hospital on much better equipment. My assumption was that if anything had looked wrong then with the heart, they could have had some inkling of it, but all was fine and nothing more was needed.

[icedcoffee]

I had one. During our anatomy scan they saw a few skipped beats so they referred me out for one. When I started looking concerned the OB said that while they did see skipped beats, they actually do refer out all IVF pregnancies for a fetal echo. I'm not sure if she actually would have if she didn't see the skipped beats so maybe it was a lie.

Anyway--I'm glad they did because: 1. They saw nothing and it got rid of my worries 2. They were SOOO much better than my anatomy scan which went terribly. They really let us take a good look while my a/s person basically just said she couldn't get good views and wasn't very friendly.