Fetal Arrhythmia Diagnosis and Pharmacologic Management

One of the most successful achievements of fetal intervention is the pharmacologic management of fetal arrhythmias. This management usually takes place during the second or third trimester. While most arrhythmias in the fetus are benign, both tachy- and bradyarrhythmias can lead to fetal hydrops or cardiac dysfunction and require treatment under certain conditions. This review will highlight precise diagnosis by fetal echocardiography and magnetocardiography, the 2 primary means of diagnosing fetuses with arrhythmia. Additionally, transient or hidden arrhythmias such as bundle branch block, QT prolongation, and torsades de pointes, which can lead to cardiomyopathy and sudden unexplained death in the fetus, may also need pharmacologic treatment. The review will address the types of drug therapies; current knowledge of drug usage, efficacy, and precautions; and the transition to neonatal treatments when indicated. Finally, we will highlight new assessments, including the role of the nurse in the care of fetal arrhythmias. The prognosis for the human fetus with arrhythmias continues to improve as we expand our ability to provide intensive care unit-like monitoring, to better understand drug treatments, to optimize subsequent pregnancy monitoring, to effectively predict timing for delivery, and to follow up these conditions into the neonatal period and into childhood. Coordinated initiatives that facilitate clinical fetal research are needed to address gaps in knowledge and to facilitate fetal drug and device development.