Although advanced technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging, fetal electrocardiography and high-resolution ultrasound now make it possible for doctors to detect abnormalities in unborn children, half of children with heart defects remain undiagnosed until they are born.

Congenital heart disease is the most prevalent type of birth defect. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that nearly 40,000 newborns in the United States are born with the condition per year.

While advances in medical care and treatment have now made it possible for people with congenital heart defects to live longer and healthier, the condition can still result in a number of health problems in babies. It also remains to be the leading cause of death in infants.

The grim outlook of children born with congenital heart defects though may soon take a positive turn as the American Heart Association (AHA) presented new guidelines that could help healthcare providers detect, manage and treat congenital heart disease during pregnancy and at birth.

In its scientific statement published in the journal Circulation April 24, the American Heart Association presented new guidelines that would allow healthcare providers to diagnose heart defects earlier in pregnancy as well as treat infants with congenital heart disease more effectively.

"For these kids to stand a chance of surviving they have to be identified early, right at birth and get the care they need," said statement lead author Mary Donofrio, from the Children's National Medical Center's Fetal Heart Program and Critical Care Delivery Service.

AHA recommended that pregnant women with risk factors such as those who has or with family history of congenital heart disease, those diagnosed with diabetes before they became pregnant and during the first trimester of their trimester, those who have taken Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) during the third trimester, those with specific medical conditions and those who conceived via in vitro fertilization should undergo fetal echocardiography, a specialized test that uses sound waves to determine if the fetus has heart problems.

Fetuses that were diagnosed with heart problems are also to be monitored carefully. Mothers may also be given medications that could treat fetal heart problems.

"Medical and interventional treatments for select diseases and strategies for delivery room care enable stabilization of high-risk fetuses and contribute to improved outcomes," AHA said. "This statement highlights what is currently known and recommended on the basis of evidence and experience in the rapidly advancing and highly specialized field of fetal cardiac care."