Author Affiliations: Division of Pediatric Cardiology (Zhou KY, Hua YM) and Division of Ultrasound Cardiography (Zhu Q), West China Second University Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Corresponding Author: Qi Zhu, MD, Division of Ultrasound Cardiography, West China Second University Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China (Tel: +86 28 85501651; Fax: +86 28 85503744; Email: zhuqidq101@163.com)

doi: 10.1007/s12519-011-0306-4

Background: Without timely treatment, fetal atrial flutter (AF) could result in congestive heart failure, hydrops fetalis and even fetal demise.

Methods: Prenatal echocardiography was used to confirm AF and assess fetal cardiac function with cardiovascular profile score. Transplacental digoxin therapy was adopted, and the patient was followed up for 10 months.

Results: The healthy male baby was delivered with normal postnatal electrocardiogram and echocardiogram. Neither arrhythmia nor neurodevelopmental impairment was found during the follow-up.

Conclusion: Timely transplacental digoxin therapy can successfully treat fetal AF and allow the fetus to recover from AF associated fetal heart failure and hydrops fetalis prior to delivery.

Key words: fetal atrial flutter; heart failure; hydrops fetalis; transplacental digoxin therapy

World J Pediatr 2012;8(3):275-277