Overview
While you’re pregnant, your healthcare provider will do standard screenings to check on the health of the fetus. If they see something of concern on an ultrasound (using harmless sound waves), they can do a fetal echocardiogram. This also uses sound waves to get a closer look at the fetal heart.
After you have your baby, their healthcare provider will check their heart and lungs to find out if there are any problems. If they hear a heart murmur through a stethoscope, they’ll order tests that may include:
- Pulse oximetry: This noninvasive test tells how much oxygen is in your baby’s blood.
- Chest X-ray: An imaging method that uses painless X-rays to get a picture of the inside of your baby’s chest from the outside.
- Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG): A painless and noninvasive way to measure the electrical activity of your baby’s heart to find out if there’s any stress on their heart muscle.
- Echocardiogram: A painless, noninvasive imaging method. It uses harmless sound waves to produce a moving picture of your baby’s heart and heart valves.
- Cardiac catheterization: An invasive procedure that lets a provider view your baby’s heart. They insert a small, flexible tube into a blood vessel in your baby’s groin. They move it through to the inside of their heart. They may use contrast dye to make a stronger image of your child’s heart and its valves.
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Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.
The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.
Prevention
Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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