Nearly one in 100 children has some type of congenital (present at birth) heart defect. Finding a congenital heart defect before the baby is born can improve the baby’s health and help a family plan for baby’s care.

At Norton Children’s, we use a fetal echocardiogram to diagnose congenital heart defects before a baby is born. This noninvasive test uses ultrasound waves and is safe for both mother and baby. Our pediatric cardiologists can perform a fetal echocardiogram during the second or third trimester of pregnancy.

Norton Children’s offers fetal echocardiograms at six locations in Louisville, Central and Western Kentucky. At all sites, our fetal echocardiogram sonographers are on-site to perform the test. At our four other Kentucky locations outside of Louisville, the echocardiogram images are transmitted to Louisville immediately, where it is reviewed by one of our board-certified pediatric cardiologists.

Collaborative care that keeps you in Kentucky

The fetal cardiology team works closely with other physicians and programs within Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the University of Louisville. We will not send you out of state for care — our team performs all diagnostic testing, surgeries and follow-up care at our locations.

The right kind of care for you

Providers from Norton Children’s Hospital and UofL Physicians are skilled at treating congenital heart conditions in children. You can draw strength, comfort and confidence from our highly trained specialists, including:

• Pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons
• Pediatric transplant surgeons
• Pediatric cardiologists
  • Fetal cardiologists
  • Adult congenital heart cardiologists
  • Heart failure/heart transplant cardiologists
  • Pediatric cardiac catheterization cardiologists
  • Pediatric electrophysiologists
• Pediatric critical care physicians
• Pediatric cardiovascular anesthesiologists
• Cardiac critical care nurses
• Cardiac nurse practitioners
• Critical care pharmacists
• Child life specialists
• Diagnostic imaging specialists
• Dietitians
• Family support team
• Genetic counselors
• Psychologists
• Social workers

Why choose Norton Children’s Heart Institute

No other congenital heart surgery program in Kentucky, Ohio or Southern Indiana is ranked higher by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons than the Norton Children’s Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery Program.

• Norton Children’s Hospital has been a pioneer in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, performing Kentucky’s first pediatric heart transplant in 1986 and becoming the second site in the United States to perform an infant heart transplant.
• Our board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatric cardiovascular surgeons are leaders in the field as clinicians and researchers.
• More than 5,000 children a year visit Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the University of Louisville, for advanced heart care.
• Norton Children’s Heart Institute successfully performs more than 17,500 procedures a year.
• The Society of Thoracic Surgeons ranked Norton Children’s Heart Institute among the best in the region after studying years of our patients’ outcomes and our ability to handle a range of pediatric heart conditions, including the most severe.
• Norton Children’s Heart Institute has satellite outpatient centers in Bowling Green, Frankfort, Owensboro and Paducah; 28 tele-echocardiography locations in Kentucky and Southern Indiana; and six fetal echocardiography locations across Kentucky.
• The American Board of Thoracic Surgery has certified the cardiothoracic surgeons at Norton Children’s Hospital with subspecialty certification in congenital heart surgery.
• The Jennifer Lawrence Cardiac Intensive Care Unit is under construction to give our patients the most advanced care available.
• Our multidisciplinary approach to pediatric heart surgery brings together our specialists in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, anesthesiology, cardiac critical care and other areas to create a complete care plan tailored for your child.