At the CHOC Children’s Heart Institute, we offer the only comprehensive fetal cardiology services in Orange County. In order to catch problems as early as possible, our fetal cardiologists work with pregnant women to evaluate, diagnose and manage babies in utero who may be at risk for congenital heart defects, heart failure or rhythm disturbances.

Women who are pregnant with a child that is at risk for a congenital heart disease are referred to CHOC by their obstetrician, perinatologist or other health care provider for a fetal echocardiogram. Learn more about fetal echocardiograms.

We also see women who choose CHOC for an additional consultation or second opinion. Learn what to expect at your appointment.

• CHOC offers the only comprehensive fetal cardiology services in Orange County.
• Our fetal cardiology team has advanced training in fetal cardiology, fetal echocardiograms and advanced cardiovascular imaging.
• CHOC’s cardiology team includes board-certified pediatric advanced imaging cardiac specialists, and access to pediatric cardiac interventionalists, cardiac electrophysiologists and heart failure specialists.
• Our cardiologists perform fetal echocardiograms in their offices to help detect heart abnormalities before birth.
• At the time of the echocardiogram, your CHOC doctor will discuss the findings, the best course of treatment and provide referrals to specialists.
• If your newborn needs heart surgery, CHOC is the only facility in Orange County that performs open-heart surgery on newborns and children.
• Our cardiologists provide management of congenital heart problems throughout a child’s life and into adulthood through the CHOC Children’s Heart Institute.
• After your child is born, and depending upon a child’s age and the suspected defect, further diagnoses can be made using cardiac MRI, low-dose CT scan, cardiac catheterization and Holter monitoring.
• CHOC offers one of the only pediatric electrophysiology programs in the region, and is one of the only institutions in the country to offer radiation-free electrophysiological studies.
• We offer state-of-the-art 3D heart mapping technology in our procedure center.
• CHOC has an Interventional Cardiology Program that specializes in performing minimally invasive cardiac catheterization procedures in our state-of-the-art catherization laboratories.
• CHOC is ranked among the nation’s best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report with recognition in eight specialties.
• We are named to The Leapfrog Group’s 2015 “Top Children’s Hospitals” list for safety and quality.
• We have the most comprehensive child life program in the region.
• In addition to your child’s primary treatment, we offer our patients expert rehabilitation services, psychosocial support, the very latest integrative health services, and access to our Early Developmental Assessment Center (EDAC).

The CHOC Children’s Heart Institute is dedicated to providing the least invasive, most advanced cardiodiagnostic services available for heart-related problems in children. We offer traditional and highly specialized echocardiograms and electrocardiograms, Holter monitoring and cardiac event recording and advanced 3D imaging. In our state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab, we offer minimally invasive diagnostic catheterization techniques and electrophysiology studies. Learn more about the cardiodiagnostics available at CHOC Children’s.

Learning a child may have congenital heart defect (also referred to as congenital heart disease) is scary, and figuring out where that child will receive treatment for his or her condition can be one of the biggest decisions a parent can make. The experts at the CHOC Children’s Heart Institute understand these anxieties and work with pediatric patients and their families to diagnose, treat and manage congenital heart disease.