What do white spots on ultrasound mean?

An intracardiac echogenic focus (ICEF) is a bright white spot seen in the baby's heart during an ultrasound. There can be one or multiple bright spots and they occur when an area of the heart muscle has extra calcium. Calcium is a natural mineral found in the body.

What abnormalities can be detected on an ultrasound?

What does a white spot on a fetus heart mean?

An echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is a bright white spot in the fetal heart that looks like a tiny golf ball. This bright spot is due to a bit of calcium in one of the muscles that attaches to the heart valve. It is NOT an abnormality and is NOT associated with heart defects.

Is EIF a marker for Down syndrome?

Two studies performed in low-risk patients demonstrated an isolated EIF in only one of 626 Down syndrome fetuses. Both studies concluded that isolated EIF was not a marker for Down syndrome in low-risk patients (21,839 total patients).

What are the markers of Down syndrome?

Certain features detected during a second trimester ultrasound exam are potential markers for Down's syndrome, and they include dilated brain ventricles, absent or small nose bone, increased thickness of the back of the neck, an abnormal artery to the upper extremities, bright spots in the heart, 'bright' bowels, mild ...

UPDATE: White Spot On Baby's Heart | Echogenic Intracardiac Focus

Is Down syndrome visible on ultrasound?

An ultrasound can detect fluid at the back of a fetus's neck, which sometimes indicates Down syndrome. The ultrasound test is called measurement of nuchal translucency. During the first trimester, this combined method results in more effective or comparable detection rates than methods used during the second trimester.

What are signs of Down syndrome during pregnancy?

Do all babies with EIF have Down syndrome?

The results showed existence of EIF in 3.8% of all fetuses. The prevalence of down syndrome among the population studied was 0.4% with all having EIF.

Should I be worried about EIF on ultrasound?

But echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF) is almost never something to worry about. It shows up as a bright spot on the heart in imaging, and it's thought to be a microcalcification on the heart muscle. EIF occurs in as many as 5 percent of all pregnancies.

Can an EIF go away?

Will the EIF go away? Most EIF seen in the middle of the pregnancy will not go away before delivery. Since they do not cause problems for the baby, there is no special concern if they are still visible at a later time. For this reason, no ultrasound follow-up is needed to watch for changes in the EIF.

What is white on baby ultrasound?

What is an intracardiac echogenic focus? An intracardiac echogenic focus (ICEF) is a bright white spot seen in the baby's heart during an ultrasound. There can be one or multiple bright spots and they occur when an area of the heart muscle has extra calcium. Calcium is a natural mineral found in the body.

Can Down syndrome be identified at 20 week ultrasound?

Diagnosing Down syndrome

It is necessary to look at fetal cells through a microscope to diagnose a chromosomal abnormality. Therefore, chromosomal lesions such as Down syndrome cannot be diagnosed with ultrasound. Some 40% of Down syndrome fetuses will appear normal on the 19-20 week scan.

Does echogenic focus mean Down syndrome?

Some authors have determined that the echogenic focus, even as an isolated finding, is likely to be statistically significantly associated with Down syndrome in low-risk populations8, 10 by extrapolating data obtained in high-risk populations.

Can you see a tumor on an ultrasound?

An ultrasound (also known as ultrasonography, sonography, or sonogram) helps doctors look for tumors in certain areas of the body that don't show up well on x-rays. Doctors often use this procedure to guide a needle during a biopsy. Ultrasounds are usually quick and most don't require special preparation.

How do you read an ultrasound report?

Start from the top of the image. The top of the screen or printed image is where the ultrasound probe was placed. In other words, the image you see shows what the organ or tissues look like from the side rather than from the top.

Can an ultrasound tell if a cyst is cancerous?

Because sound waves echo differently from fluid-filled cysts and solid masses, an ultrasound can reveal tumors that may be cancerous. However, further testing will be necessary before a cancer diagnosis can be confirmed.

What is the most common marker for Down syndrome?

Increased nuchal fold (P < 0.001) and structural malformation (P < 0.001) were the markers most associated with Down syndrome. The presence of one marker increased the relative risk 10.5-fold, while the presence of two or more markers increased the risk 13.5-fold.

What causes calcium on baby's heart?

The cause of an echogenic intracardiac focus is unknown. It is possible that calcium deposits in the muscle wall of the ventricles may cause these spots. Calcium is a natural mineral found in the body. Areas of the body that have more calcium, such as bones, show up brighter on an ultrasound.

Do Down syndrome babies have strong heartbeat?

Fetal heart rate of the trisomic fetuses was distributed around the median with that of all Down's syndrome fetuses within the normal range. In one fetus with trisomy 18, the heart rate exceeded the 90th centile, in another it fell under the 10th centile.

What increases the risk of Down syndrome?

Causes and Risk Factors

One factor that increases the risk for having a baby with Down syndrome is the mother's age. Women who are 35 years or older when they become pregnant are more likely to have a pregnancy affected by Down syndrome than women who become pregnant at a younger age.

Does folic acid prevent Down syndrome?

April 17, 2003 -- Taking folic acid supplements before and during early pregnancy may not only help prevent neural tube defects in babies, but it may also reduce the risk of Down syndrome.

What happens if Down syndrome test is positive?

A screen positive result means that you are in a group with an increased likelihood of having a baby with an open neural tube defect. If the result is screen positive, you will be offered an ultrasound examination after 16 weeks of pregnancy, and possibly an amniocentesis.

How Early Can Down syndrome be detected on ultrasound?

Screening for Down syndrome can be performed as early as 11 to 14 weeks of pregnancy with a first trimester ultrasound and blood test. Screening can also be performed between 15 and 20 weeks by a blood test referred to as the multiple marker serum screening test.

Can you tell if a baby has autism in an ultrasound?

A routine prenatal ultrasound can identify early signs of autism, study finds. Summary: A routine prenatal ultrasound in the second trimester can identify early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a new study has found.

How accurate is 12 week scan for Down's syndrome?

Babies with Down's syndrome are more likely to have a small or absent nose bone, with a flat profile. They often have leakage across the tricuspid valve and reverse flow in the ductus venosus. So adding in these additional markers will take the average detection rate of the standard technique of 80% up to 95%.