Overview

An MRI scan uses magnets and radio waves to take pictures of the inside of your body. It does not use any radiation.

An MRI scan to take pictures of your unborn baby’s heart is called a fetal cardiac MRI scan. This shows us 3D images of your baby’s heart and vessels. We can use these images to look for any potential problems.

Your doctor might have recommended a fetal MRI scan for you because it could give us useful information for your pregnancy.

Most scans are done while you’re between 30 and 34 weeks pregnant.

Who can have a fetal MRI scan

Most people can have an MRI scan safely while pregnant. Fetal MRI scans are a common procedure.

We do not give you any injections, dye or sedation during this type of scan.

We’ll discuss any concerns you might have before the procedure. Remember that you can ask us questions at any time. You can talk to us before, during or after your scan.

If you cannot have an MRI scan, your doctor might recommend regular ultrasound scans instead.

Before having a fetal MRI scan

We'll make sure it's safe for you and your baby to have a fetal MRI scan.

Medical implants or devices

An MRI scanner uses strong magnets. If you have a medical implant or device in your body, you might not be able to have an MRI scan.

You must tell us if you have a medical implant or device in your body. This includes:

• a pacemaker
• an implantable loop recorder, like a Reveal LINQ^™ device
• an insulin pump
• a glucose monitor
• cochlear implants
• a small balloon device (FETO balloon) in your baby’s airway
• any metal implants from previous surgeries

Metal in your body

It’s important you tell us if you think you might have metal in your body. This might be because you’ve had:

• surgery to your brain or your heart
• injuries involving metal fragments in your eyes
• shrapnel injuries like bullet wounds

Giving your permission (consent)

We want to involve you in decisions about your care and treatment. If you decide to have a fetal MRI scan, we’ll ask you to complete and sign a safety questionnaire. This says that you understand what’s involved and agree to do the procedure.

Read more about our consent process.

Preparing for a fetal MRI scan

What to wear

Wear clothes that are easy to take off. You’ll need to change into a hospital gown and trousers before your MRI scan. This makes sure there is no metal in your clothes, like zips.

Anything made of metal could heat up and be pulled into the scanner.

We have lockers you can use to store your belongings during your appointment.

Bringing your children

We do not have childcare facilities at our hospitals. If you need to bring your children with you, please bring an adult who can look after them while you have your scan.

Taking part in research

Before the scan, we might ask if you would like to take part in a research study. If you’re interested, we’ll give you more information about the research and how to give your consent.

During the procedure

Going into the scan room

Your friends or family cannot go into the scan room with you.

You’ll meet a trained healthcare professional called a radiographer, who is in charge of your MRI scan. They might have other healthcare professionals helping them. We’re here to make sure you’re cared for during your scan.

Inside the room, you’ll see the MRI scanner. It’s a large tube with a short, open tunnel through it. There’s a bed that moves through the scanner.

Headphones and earplugs

The scanner is noisy. You’ll hear loud banging sounds during the procedure. We’ll give you earplugs and protective headphones to help with the noise.

The radiographer can talk to you through these headphones. You can also listen to music during the scan.

Going through the MRI scanner

We’ll ask you to lie down on the scanner bed. We’ll put a flat pad on top of your tummy. This is called a coil. It helps us to capture images of your baby. Once you’re in a comfortable position, we’ll move the bed into the scanner.

The radiographer will control the scanner from a separate room. Your feet will enter the scanner first. We’ll move the bed into the scanner until your tummy is in the middle of the tunnel.

The radiographer will talk to you during the scan to let you know what’s happening.

Try to stay as still as possible while you go through the scanner. If you move during the scan, the images might be unclear or blurry. We might need to do the scan again if this happens.

We’ll do our best to help you feel as comfortable as possible before we start the scan so you can stay still. If you are not comfortable, please tell us.

Calling for help

We’ll give you a buzzer to hold while you go through the MRI scanner.

If you need help, squeeze the buzzer. We’ll pause the scan so you can speak to the radiographer. We’ll be able to hear you talk while you’re lying down.

Taking a break

A fetal MRI scan usually takes up to 1 hour. If your baby moves a lot during the scan, we might need to take some images again and the scan could take longer.

We’ll check if you need to take a break halfway through the scan.

You can leave hospital as soon as your scan is finished. If you’re staying in hospital, you can go back to your ward.

Getting the results

We can show you some images of your baby immediately after the scan.

We’ll send the images to specialist doctors who will examine them and write a report. This usually takes up to 2 weeks.

The doctor who referred you for the fetal MRI scan will arrange an appointment with you to discuss the results.

Support

Thinking about your unborn baby having a potential health condition can be emotionally difficult. If you need support, contact ECHO, a charity that supports families affected by children’s heart conditions at our hospitals.