Fetal echocardiography (ECHO) in assessment of structural heart defects in congenital diaphragmatic hernia patients: Is early postnatal ECHO necessary for ECMO candidacy?

This retrospective study demonstrates that fetal echocardiography achieves 92% accuracy in detecting structural heart defects in CDH patients, with sufficient reliability to guide ECMO candidacy decisions at high-volume centers. All ECMO patients had accurate prenatal cardiac assessments, suggesting early postnatal echo may be unnecessary for initial management planning.