CORRECTION: February 21, 2024 – The original story stated that Ascension Saint Thomas is the only hospital in the Nashville area offering fetal echo tests. This is incorrect. Vanderbilt University Medical Center also offers fetal echo tests and currently performs between 1,300 and 1,500 a year.
Original Story February 12, 2024:
Middle Tennessee recently showed its support for National Wear Red Day, proudly embracing the “red” spirit.
In celebration of Heart Month, Ascension Saint Thomas, in collaboration with Tennessee Maternal Fetal Medicine, offers fetal echo tests, a crucial screening tool for the early detection of heart defects in unborn babies.
In light of this, babies at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown, Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford, and Ascension Saint Thomas River Park are all dressed in red to raise awareness for Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). This special initiative aligns with CHD Awareness Week, observed from February 7th to Valentine’s Day.
Congenital heart defects are the most common form of birth defect in the United States, affecting nearly 40,000 births per year. Nearly 1 in 100 babies are born with a heart defect.
Ascension Saint Thomas is a local sponsor for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement. One of the movement’s main priorities is ensuring that women have access to the care and resources that support heart health. This includes empowering expectant mothers with information about their hearts and their babies’ hearts.
