Is ventricular septal defect at 23 weeks pregnant dangerous?

Question
Hello doctor,
23 week old fetus with ventricular septum has a hole size of 4mm. Other indicators: left ventricle size 3.8mm, right ventricle size 9.2mm, thick myocardium, right ventricle has 2 holes. Please consult a doctor to help me with ventricular septal defect in 23 weeks fetus, is it dangerous? Can the fetus have a ventricular septal defect be cured? Thank you for the advice.
Le Khac Nguyen (1989)
Answer
Answered by Master. Doctor Dao Kim Phuong - Department of Examination, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.
Hello,
To the question: "Is ventricular septal defect at 23 weeks pregnant?" the doctor answered as follows:
You have not described it carefully, but if according to the above information, the fetus is At 23 weeks of age with a moderate ventricular septal defect, the size of the left ventricle is significantly small compared to the size of the right ventricle, corresponding to the very serious pathology of left ventricular hypoplasia.
Therefore, the blood supply is not enough for the body. In the fetus and the first few days after birth, blood is still carried to the organs thanks to the ductus arteriosus (the connection between the pulmonary artery and the aorta), blood does not pass through the left part of the heart. The ductus arteriosus closes after the baby is born and the foramen ovale (a physiological opening in the atrial septum that allows oxygen-rich blood to flow from the left atrium to the right atrium) also usually closes within a few weeks of birth.
When the ductus arteriosus and foramen ovale are closed, the right heart cannot pump blood to the organs, causing premature cyanosis and a very high rate of postpartum mortality, especially in the first month. Keeping the upper shunts (also called shunts) open is important to keep your baby alive for a few days in preparation for surgery. Surgery for the pathology of left ventricular hypoplasia is quite complicated and requires many surgical repairs.
Therefore, you need to visit and consult with an obstetrician and pediatric cardiologist for an accurate diagnosis and timely consultation before and after birth. Doctors may need to consult to do more chromosomal tests, genetic mutations for the baby for prenatal counseling. You need to see a doctor soon because the pregnancy is already quite large.
If you still have questions about the ventricular septal defect in the 23-week fetus, you can send the baby to the hospital of Vinmec Health System for examination. Thank you for your interest and question to Vinmec.
Best regards!