An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) does not affect health of the baby or how the baby's heart works. thank you! In other simple words, an echogenic intracardiac focus is nothing but the deposit of calcium and other minerals inside the hearts myocardium (another fancy word for the hearts muscle). Its rarely the case, most babies with an echogenic focus turn out to be perfectly fine with no diseases or malformation. 6. Epidemiology They are thought to be present in ~4-5% of karyotypically normal fetuses. It is so common in babies with Asian ethnicity that it cant even be used as a marker. Echogenic intracardiac focus in 2nd-trimester fetuses with trisomy 21: usefulness as a US marker. Home Blog Echogenic focus in fetal heart to worry or not to worry, Endocardial fibroelastosis and dilated dysfuntional LV. EIF|Echogenic intracardiac focus - Perinatology.com Ultrasound Diagnosis of Fetal Anomalies. Among theentire population studied(901 subjects), theincidence oftnisomy21was2% (17/901). Mine also has it. An official website of the United States government. I did the NIPT testing and it flagged me high risk for triploidy so I had to see a fetal specialist. 13 estimated the sensitivity of an isolated echogenic focus for detecting trisomy 21 to be 11% (95% CI, 6-18) based on a meta-analysis of three publications 4, 6, 7.Winter et al. The .gov means its official. The published risks of Down syndrome among fetuses with echogenic cardiac foci have varied from no increased risk up to a four-fold increase in the age-related risk. Find a Doctor Radiology. The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. However, it can be found anywhere inside the heart, and on rare occasions, the bright spot isnt an isolated finding. . Just wanted to say thank you again to everyone for the advice and positive thoughts-you all really helped ease my mind. Bradley KE, Santulli TS, Gregory KD et-al. J. Obstet. This procedure is done via the visual guidance of an ultrasound. Okay, so this is a first pregnancy and the doctor has mentioned an Echogenic Intracardiac Focus - EIF a white spot on the developing baby's heart. I guess this is a soft marker for downs syndrome but since there is only this marker, everything else on the scan was perfect, and I'm low risk, its unlikely that this means my baby has downs. In short, medicine and physicians see things from the patients perspective. Most of the time, EIF is seen during a routine prenatal ultrasound performed around weeks 8-20 of the pregnancy. Is Echogenic Focus Dangerous? - | WeAnswer In isolation, it is not a risk factor for chromosomal anomaly. Application of Copy Number Variation Detection to Fetal Diagnosis of Echogenic Intracardiac Focus During Pregnancy. My best friend was told this of her little guy at his anatomy scan and he's now 9 months and healthy as can be! Sonographic identification of an echogenic intracardiac focus was associated with a fourfold increased risk of Down syndrome (risk ratio 4.3, 95% confidence interval 1.5-12.3). December 2013. 2021 Mar 26;12:626044. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2021.626044. Although some studies have reported that the number or location of echogenic foci affects the risk of fetal aneuploidy (higher risk with biventricular or right ventricular involvement), the general consensus is that these factors have not been proven to matter. Several studies suggested a risk of about 1%. It most frequently involves left ventricle but can be seen in right ventricle and can be multiple. National Library of Medicine She said she will sent the pictures to be reviewed and a write up will be completed for my doctor to review with me. Become a Gold Supporter and see no third-party ads. If the baby has normal chromosomes, there would be no associated problems to be concerned about. With just an echogenic focus, your odds of down syndrome do not change at all. EIF is considered a normal pregnancy variation, but prenatal screening tests may be desirable to test for any abnormalities. This is thought to represent mineralization, or small deposits of calcium, in the muscle of the heart. I had an amnio done same day and 48 hours later the FISH results were back and negative for all trisomies and triploidy. Unable to process the form. If there are no problems or chromosome abnormalities, EIFs are considered normal changes, or variants. Accessibility We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. my baby has an EIF and I decided to do an amnio because if my baby had Down syndrome I wanted to know. There are two kinds of prenatal tests available, screening tests and diagnostic procedures. Your Pregnancy Matters, Appointment Should I be worried? That means that 99/100 babies with this finding will not have Down syndrome. EIF is considered a normal pregnancy variation, but prenatal screening tests may be desirable to test for any abnormalities. It is NOT an abnormality and is NOT associated with heart defects. A Group Owner is a member that has initiated the creation of a group to connect with other members to share their journey through the same pregnancy & baby stages. The cause of EIF is unknown, but the condition is generally harmless. The 18-23 week scan. And then use this sample to analyze the number of chromosomes and the presence of genetic mutations. 9. However, not all studies agree that there is any connection to Down syndrome.