This is thought to represent mineralization, or small deposits of calcium, in the muscle of the heart. Mumbai. An intracardiac echogenic focus (ICEF) . These white spots are most likely seen during your mid-pregnancy ultrasound, which takes place between 18 weeks and 22 weeks. How proactive physical therapy can improve pregnancy and postpartum care, Pediatrics; At the time the article was last revised Jeremy Jones had no recorded disclosures. Mumbai. Echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a small bright spot seen in the baby's heart during an ultrasound scan. The anatomy scan went well until they found an isolated EIF on left ventricle. During a 10-month period, all women with singleton gestations who underwent second-trimester genetic amniocentesis for non-imaging indications were evaluated prospectively by prenatal sonography. I didnt have any genetic testing done so Im not sure if Im at risk or not for Down Syndrome but from my research its very unlikely the baby has Down Syndrome unless paired with other markers. You already had the harmony test and got good results, so at this point you should just try to relaxand enjoy your healthy pregnancy! Among theentire population studied(901 subjects), theincidence oftnisomy21was2% (17/901). Can be observed 1 in 5 pregnancy, during second and third trimester. Down Syndrome Markers - What to Expect For instance, an X-ray machine uses a beam of radioactive x-rays and shoots them at the patient to see what image is created. Anyone else experience this before ? We are left with two options: MRIs and Ultrasound. We respect everyones right to express their thoughts and opinions as long as they remain respectful of other community members, and meet What to Expects Terms of Use. Hello everyone I had my anatomy scan today, and all looked well except they said baby seemed to have a echogenic intracardiac focus in the left ventricle. He said it happens in 1-5% of pregnancies. Find a Location, Appointment New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. She said she will sent the pictures to be reviewed and a write up will be completed for my doctor to review with me. What do white spots on ultrasound mean? An echogenic intracardiac focus (or EIF) is a small bright spot seen on a developing baby's heart during an ultrasound.The cause of EIF is unknown, but the condition is generally harmless.EIF is considered a normal pregnancy variation, but prenatal screening tests may be desirable to test for any abnormalities. A Biblioteca Virtual em Sade uma colecao de fontes de informacao cientfica e tcnica em sade organizada e armazenada em formato eletrnico nos pases da Regio Latino-Americana e do Caribe, acessveis de forma universal na Internet de modo compatvel com as bases internacionais. The views expressed in community are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of What to Expect. So our first question when we detect a bright spot is about the parents ethnic backgrounds. Especially considering the comments above about their baby having EIF and being totally healthy! Dont worry mama Im sure your baby will be fine . The early reports of sonographically detected intracardiac echogenic foci mainly concerned isolated echogenic spots in the fetal left ventricle 1-3.Subsequently, echogenic foci were detected in the right ventricle, both ventricles and even in the left atrium 4, 5.Since the original description in 1988 the significance of these echogenic foci has been controversial, with some authors . Echogenic intracardiac focus is an ultrasound finding that is most commonly seen during the second and third trimester of pregnancy. They are considered to represent mineralization within the papillary muscles. The site is secure. If the mother has screened positive for higher risk of the chromosome abnormality trisomy 18 in pregnancy, we would talk about additional testing. She also told us that in Europe they don't even report it since it's benign if not accompanies with any other concern. ElF is considered a normal variation in fetal development and has not been found to cause any long-term health problems or heart problems for the baby. Bright spot seen in heart during evaluation of fetus. Well also check the mothers risk for chromosomal abnormalities through blood tests or other screenings. Hypoplasia or atresia of mitral and aortic valve, Flow reversal in oval foramen and distal aortic arch, Aortic stenosis ( difficult to diagnose in utero), Flow reversal in distal aortic arch may be present, May develop into hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The first thing patients should know is just because your doctor picks something up on an ultrasound doesn't mean your baby is sick. Group Owners uphold the core values of the brand by reporting content that violates the community guidelines. Four of 22 fetuses (18%) with trisomy 21 had an echogenic intracardiac focus, compared with 62 (4.7%) of 1312 fetuses without Down syndrome who also had an echogenic intracardiac focus (P = .004). EIFs are found in about 35% of normal pregnancies and cause no health problems. It was only flagged for me because the baby showed 3 different spots. How important is a cardiac echogenic focus in a routine fetal So at my 20 week scan on Monday they found an EIF. What does echogenic focus in kidney mean? - Wise-Answer 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). New Patient Appointment, Appointment A few days later I get a call from my OB saying that baby is growing appropriate and everything looked great BUT there was a white spot found in his heart called Echogenic Intracardiac Focus. The views expressed in community are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of What to Expect. Some of these can be quite scary, particularly when the patient sees them in electronic medical records or imaging reports without context from a doctor.