Ultrasound scanners to diagnose heart defects in unborn babies
18 September 2018
We can now offer scans as early as 12 weeks into pregnancy to check for potential heart defects.
The hospital’s fetal cardiology unit has three high-definition ultrasound scanners to perform these ‘game-changing’ scans, and it’s thanks to your amazing fundraising and donations that this has been made possible.
Rachel’s story
Rachel Slaughter was 30 weeks pregnant with her first child Erin, now age 3, when she received the frightening diagnosis that she had Ebstein’s anomaly — a congenital heart defect causing Rachel to have a faulty valve — and a hole in the heart.
10 months after Erin was born, 38-year-old Rachel had open-heart surgery to fix the hole in her heart. She was told that she would need scans during any future pregnancies to see if the baby had inherited her condition.
When Rachel discovered she was pregnant again in December 2017, she wasn’t expecting the scan to be available until at least 20 weeks of pregnancy. But thanks to the new scanners at Evelina London, she was able to have one at just 15 weeks.
‘I thought I would only find out later in the pregnancy so it was reassuring to have a scan earlier on,’ says Rachel. ‘The sonographer couldn’t see anything of concern and I had further scans at 20 and 30 weeks which confirmed that the baby’s heart was working well.
‘It was a huge relief to hear that the baby’s heart looked normal at 15 weeks. I had been feeling anxious about it since finding out I was pregnant, so it was great that I could have early reassurance and remove that worry so I could enjoy the pregnancy.’
Rachel gave birth to a baby boy, Michael, on 23 July 2018.
Reassurance during high-risk pregnancies
The three SMI (Superb Microvascular Imaging) ultrasound systems based in Evelina London’s new fetal cardiology unit can provide higher quality and more detailed images than ever before.
This means that heart defects can be detected as early as 12 weeks into a pregnancy, instead of when they are usually diagnosed at the 20-week scan. The state-of-the-art scanners give experts a clear view of an unborn baby’s heart and blood vessels and detect the movement of blood within the heart.
Early detection opens up the possibility of corrective surgery while the baby is still in the womb, or offers an earlier opportunity for the parents to make vital decisions about the pregnancy.
The fetal cardiology teams at Evelina London and King’s College Hospital work in partnership to carry out around 1,000 scans a year. The combined team is the first in the UK to use this technique to detect heart problems early, a practice which is particularly important for pregnant women with a history of heart problems or with elder children who are affected, or where potential problems are spotted during their routine 12-week scan.
‘This technique provides enhanced early diagnosis of a heart problem in an unborn baby or confirmation that nothing is wrong, which is hugely reassuring for parents with a high-risk pregnancy,’ explains John Simpson, professor of paediatric and fetal cardiology. ‘The new ultrasound scanning technology is a game-changer for babies diagnosed with heart defects. An earlier diagnosis gives us much more time to plan care, to prepare parents for what is ahead and provide them with specialist support.’
Please note, unfortunately, we are unable to take any telephone calls or process any donations by telephone for the immediate and foreseeable future. You can still donate by credit/debit card and/or make a regular gift by Direct Debit. You can also send a cheque too. Thank you very much for your support. We hugely appreciate it.
Go Online through our donation page, make a one-off payment or set up a monthly direct debit.
For a Bank Transfer, please contact our Supporter Care team via email info@supportevelina.org.uk
and we can provide the relevant details.
If you would like to send a donation by cheque, please make this payable to Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital Charity, with 'Evelina London' written on the reverse.
If you can include a covering letter with your contact details as well as reasons for donations and what you would like it to be put towards, we will write to you and let you know when the donation has been received.
Please send the cheque to this address:
Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Fundraising Team Fundraising Team Virginia Woolf Building 22 Kingsway, 2nd Floor London
Can you claim Gift Aid on my donation?
Your donations are only eligible for Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer and we have a record of your postcode and donation amount. You must also tick the Gift Aid box on our sponsorship forms (Virgin Money Giving / Just Giving) or donation page.
Please note that we are unable to claim Gift Aid on ticket sales, raffle sales, corporate sponsorship, and sale of goods or auction proceeds.
Can I donate to a specific ward/department within the hospital?
If you would like to help a specific ward or department, we will do our best to find the most appropriate fund for your donation to go towards.
Please note that once a donation has been allocated to a specific fund, we are unable to change this at a later date.
Please also provide some basic information about the item, including how old the item is and we will then be able to confirm if the hospital is able to accept the item.
Please note that we are unable to accept soft toys and toys that cannot be easily cleaned.
If you would like to discuss this more to find out how we can help, please call our Supporter Care team via info@supportevelina.org.uk.
What is your charity number?
Evelina London is part of Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital so does not have a separate registered charity number.
The charity number for Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity is 1160316.
What happens to my personal details?
All the personal information about our supporters we collect is processed and stored in accordance with GDPR 2018, and all other applicable data protection laws and regulations. This includes, but is not limited to, the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations (PECR).
If you need a new tin, collection bucket or security seal sticker, then please let us know by contacting us via email at info@supportevelina.org.uk and we can send a replacement out to you. Please note, we currently have limited stock on some items, and there may be some delays with deliveries.
Do you accept donations of clothing?
Clean, plain clothing for adults and children are accepted, items such as jogging bottoms and sweatshirts are ideal. Used underwear is not accepted.
Thank you to everyone who has offered knitted bonding squares for our Neonatal Unit. We’ll let you know if we need more in future but for now, we have plenty. We’ve had so many offers our cupboards are overflowing!
How can I volunteer?
Fundraising volunteers are vital to our work at Guy's and St Thomas’ Hospital Charity. You can volunteer with us on events, awareness days, in general or even work with the Fundraising Team.
All our opportunities support our fundraising work and activities, we do not organise volunteering within the hospital. If this is what you are interested in please visit the Guy’s and St Thomas' volunteering page.
Policy for returning donations
We work hard to ensure you have the best supporter journey when you make a donation. Unfortunately, under charity law (The Charities Act 2011) we are unable to refund donations, other than in specific circumstances.
If you believe that a donation you have made should be refunded then please contact via email at info@supportevelina.org.uk and we can advise on what we can do.
If you are a company or individual who would like to make a product donation, please email our fundraising team at info@supportevelina.org.uk detailing the type of donation, quantity and estimated delivery date and we will get back to you as soon as possible to confirm if we are able to accept the donation.
All items must be new and in their packaging and please note that we are unfortunately unable to accept any hot food and drink or any perishable food items.
Well done Tony, you are a truely amazing little soul!
Tony! What an inspiration you are, so young, so brave and doing incredible things. Keep going and well done for absolutely smashing your target; it is going to an amazing cause and we love watching your journey. You can do it! X x
Dear Tony, what a beautiful, special, precious little boy you are. You are very brave and strong. You are an inspiration to us all. I hope your legs feel good and help you take on your challenge. You can do it!!👍🥰 I've donated because you made me so proud. Lots of love always Jude xxx
You are such an amazing superhero! Keep up the wonderful things you are doing!😀👍🚑🏃
Well done Tony on your 10km walk. We followed your progress. You are a brave little boy. We wish you well! Love xx
You are amazing and an inspiration to everyone - there's nothing you can't do or achieve in this life! Thank you so much
Caroline and Sarah, at The Cardiology Kids launch party in the park
George with his family
Thank you for everything you are doing. So proud of our NHS - heroes don’t all wear capes! Thank you for everything you do for us all and keep as safe as you can all of you. xx
You are all heroes and should be proud of yourselves as we are of you. No words of thanks can ever express the debt of gratitude.
You have looked after my daughter with such care, too which I am eternally grateful. Thank you.
I had my cancer treatment there, undoubtedly saved my life. Thank you.
I was born at Guy's hospital in 1974, and was treated in St Thomas' in 2003, where I was seriously ill for 13 weeks. Thank you for not only giving me life, but saving it too! X
Guy's and St Thomas' have looked after me so well over many years. Thank you for all those years and for everything you are doing in an unimaginably difficult time. Thinking of you and your families at this time. x
You saved my life when I had cancer. Thank you for then and thank you for now. x
The NHS saved my wife’s life 3 times. We love the nurses, doctors, specialists, secretaries - everyone. You are heroes. Sending hope and love.
You are all amazing and will be remembered in history. Stay strong.
Thank you isn’t enough, so a thousand times more.
You are all amazing and do an incredible job. Filled with gratitude and heartfelt thanks.
You are all phenomenal. Thank you so much.
Wishing you well during this crisis. You are all heroes and deserve the support of the whole nation.
From one nurse to all the others all over the world fighting Covid-19 and all the health professionals, I know this word and term is overused but this time it is a real meaning in the truest form of the word: You are all LEGENDS!
How can we ever repay you for what you are doing for us? Thinking of you all. The NHS means everything. Make sure you're looking after your own wellbeing as much as possible. Take care x
You are all genuine heroes. Each and every one of you!
You are all wonderful, heroic people. You save lives every day and you really, really make a difference. We salute you and send big hugs to keep you going. xx