Simultaneous Magnetocardiographic and Echocardiographic Assessment of Fetal Cardiac Abnormalities

Project Description Narrative:

New breakthroughs in echocardiography technology and fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG) signal processing in the researchers’ laboratory have facilitated a line of investigation not previously thought possible. This project aims to evaluate the impact of fetal cardiac disease on cardiac interval measurements as assessed in the human fetus by simultaneous Echo/Doppler and fMCG. It also aims to integrate non-traditional fetal Echo/Doppler variables into assessment of fetuses with congenital heart disease, arrythmias, and congestive heart failure. The combined use of these two non-invasive modalities will be studied in the human fetus. The endpoint of this line of research will be to improve fetal diagnostics to the level available in the neonate or child, where the similar combined technologies of electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography (Echo) are routinely employed.