Fetal Echo ScanCoach™
View-by-View Acquisition Guidance
View-by-view acquisition guidance for fetal echocardiography, aligned with current AIUM guidelines. Guides systematic cardiac view acquisition with image optimization tips and normal appearance criteria to support confident fetal cardiac assessment.
Situs / Abdominal
Curvilinear 3–5 MHz (or higher frequency in early 3rd trimester)
Supine or semi-recumbent. Determine fetal lie before starting — identify fetal spine position to orient left/right.
The first view obtained in every fetal echo. Establishes cardiac and visceral situs. Situs solitus (normal) requires stomach on the left, liver on the right, cardiac apex pointing left, IVC to the right of the spine, and aorta to the left. Any deviation suggests situs inversus or heterotaxy (situs ambiguus).
- 1Identify fetal spine position first — this orients fetal left and right
- 2Obtain a transverse view at the level of the upper abdomen
- 3Identify the stomach bubble — should be on the fetal left
- 4Identify the liver — should be on the fetal right
- 5Identify the IVC (anterior, right of spine) and aorta (posterior, left of spine)
- 6Confirm cardiac apex points to the left anterior chest wall