Hyderabad: The Rainbow Children’s Heart Institute has made a significant medical breakthrough by successfully using direct fetal immunotherapy to treat a rare heart condition known as immune-mediated fetal myocarditis in unborn babies. This achievement, highlighted in JACC: Case Reports, positions the Hyderabad institute among a select few worldwide to successfully perform this complex procedure before birth.
Five fetuses, aged between 21 and 27 weeks of gestation, were diagnosed with severe heart disease caused by maternal antibodies. Traditional treatments given to the mothers were not effective. Therefore, doctors decided to administer immunotherapy directly to the fetuses with the help of advanced imaging technology. After receiving the treatment, all five fetuses showed significant improvement in heart function, rhythm normalization, and reduced fluid buildup.
All of these babies were born alive and have remained stable, providing new hope to families dealing with complicated prenatal heart conditions.
