The VII Kardio-Prenatal Conference, held on 19-20 June 2026, for the first time at the Mazovian University in Płock, Poland (previous editions took place in Łódź), provided an international and interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of current knowledge and clinical experience in fetal cardiology, prenatal diagnosis, perinatology, neonatology, paediatric cardiology, and cardiac surgery. The scientific program reflected the increasingly multidisciplinary character of contemporary care for fetuses and newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD), emphasising not only accurate prenatal diagnosis but also risk stratification, perinatal management, neonatal treatment, and continuity of care from fetal to postnatal life.

The distinguished character of the VII Kardio-Prenatal Conference was further highlighted by the presence of Prof. Krzysztof J. Filipiak, Rector of the Medical University of Maria Skłodowska-Curie in , who is also the director of the Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education (CMKP) in . Prof. Filipiak attended the meeting as one of its honorary guests and presented his speech, which further emphasised the academic and interdisciplinary character of the conference.

The first day began with an international plenary session devoted to risk stratification and the clinical consequences of prenatal diagnosis of CHD. Prof. Maciej Słodki, representing the Polish Mother’s – Research Institute in Łódź and the in , opened the scientific program with a presentation on different approaches to prenatal risk stratification of CHD and the common principles underlying these classifications. The subject was particularly relevant to the overall theme of the meeting because prenatal classification of cardiac defects has important implications for counselling, delivery planning, and neonatal management.

The prenatal perspective was subsequently extended to postnatal outcomes. Prof. Jay Pruetz from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine of the discussed outcomes in neonates with critical CHD requiring urgent cardiac intervention. Prof. Maria Respondek-Liberska from the Polish Mother’s – Research Institute in Łódź addressed congenital heart defects of particular importance from the perspectives of both prenatal cardiologists and neonatologists. The importance of coordinated multidisciplinary management was further emphasised by Dr Alyssa Thomas, affiliated with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and , who presented advances in interdisciplinary care for term and preterm neonates with CHD. Prof. Zbigniew Ruszczak from in concluded this part of the program by discussing possible relationships between prenatal ultrasonographic findings and neonatal skin manifestations.

The second plenary session focused on fetal cardiac function in different clinical settings. Prof. Giuseppe Rizzo from Sapienza University of Rome discussed fetal cardiac function before delivery, whereas Prof. Ilena Mappa, also from Sapienza University of Rome, concentrated on cardiac function in fetuses affected by fetal growth restriction. Prof. Krzysztof Preis from the in addressed fetal cardiac functional assessment in the context of therapy for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. These presentations illu­strated how functional evaluation increasingly complements traditional anatomical assessment of the fetal heart.

The session subsequently moved toward screening, prenatal detection, and emerging diagnostic technologies. Prof. Marcin Wiecheć from the in Kraków and the MWU Dobre USG Ultrasound Diagnostic Centre discussed strategies for improving prenatal detection of tetralogy of Fallot and identifying prognostic factors. Dr Agnieszka Nocuń, also representing the MWU Dobre USG Ultrasound Diagnostic Centre, presented the application of artificial intelligence in fetal cardiac screening, introducing one of the most rapidly developing areas of contemporary prenatal imaging.

The third plenary session concentrated on practical challenges encountered in everyday prenatal diagnosis. Dr Kata­rzyna Fortecka-Piestrzeniewicz from the Polish Mother’s – Research Institute discussed neonates with congenital heart defects treated in 2025 whose cardiac abnormalities had not been identified prenatally. Dr Tomasz Roszkowski from the of and Child in discussed indications for genetic testing in fetuses diagnosed with congenital heart defects.

Further presentations addressed specific clinical circumstances that may affect prenatal cardiovascular assessment. Prof. Anna Wójtowicz from the in Kraków discussed ventricular disproportion identified during routine third-trimester screening, while Dr Paweł Stanirow­ski from the Medical University of Warsaw reviewed current knowledge concerning the fetal heart in pregnancies complicated by maternal diabetes. Importantly, the program did not limit the discussion to diagnostic and therapeutic issues. Karolina Kałużna, MSc, from the of the of Łódź, addressed the psychological aspects of prenatal CHD diagnosis, emphasising an important dimension of care for parents confronted with the diagnosis of a serious fetal cardiac abnormality.

The first day concluded with a multimedia clinical case session illustrating the transition from prenatal diagnosis to paediatric cardiology. The presented cases included critical pulmonary stenosis or pulmonary atresia, cardiac tumours, and cardiovascular conditions requiring urgent intervention. The case-based format complemented the preceding expert lectures by demonstrating how prenatal findings translate into decisions concerning delivery, neonatal stabilisation, further diagnostics, and paediatric cardiac treatment.

The second day of the conference began with a dedicated student scientific session, demonstrating the organisers’ commitment to involving young researchers and future healthcare professionals in the field of fetal cardiology. Oliwia Plaskota and Małgorzata Sędłak, midwifery students from the Medical University of Lublin, discussed the competencies of midwives in the early identification of pregnancies at increased risk of fetal heart defects. Ludwika Mucha, a physiotherapy student from the of Łódź, presented a case involving a fetal cardiac tumour operated on during caesarean delivery. Patrycja Bujnowicz, a medical student from the of Łódź, discussed the prenatal diagnosis of a vascular ring, and Marta Podlasińska, a medical student from the in , presented a complex cardiac defect involving hypoplastic left heart syndrome and interrupted aortic arch.

The student session also extended beyond prenatal diagnosis toward advanced postnatal treatment. Kacper Jucha and Oliwia Kozakiewicz, medical students from the in , discussed the pathway from prenatal diagnosis to the evolution and future of heart transplantation in neonates and infants. Finally, Weronika Maliszewska, Karolina Milczarek, and Matylda Mówińska, nursing students from the of Łódź, presented nursing care for a pregnant woman carrying a fetus with CHD using the International Classification for Nursing Practice. The involvement of students representing medicine, midwifery, physiotherapy, and nursing reflected the multidisciplinary philosophy of the entire meeting.

One of the major themes of the second day was dextro-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA), a critical congenital heart defect in which prenatal diagnosis may substantially influence perinatal management. Prof. Respondek-Liberska with Dr Oskar Sylwestrzak subsequently discussed prenatal recognition and the clinical significance of restrictive foramen ovale in fetuses with d-TGA.

The discussion then progressed from prenatal diagnosis to neonatal and surgical management. Prof. Katarzyna Januszew­ska from the Polish Mother’s – Research Institute reviewed the evolution of surgical treatment of d-TGA. Prof. Andrii Kurkevych from the Ukrainian Children’s Cardiac Centre in Kyiv and the Polish Mother’s – Research Institute addressed the question of whether postnatal surgical correction of d-TGA may be possible without a Rashkind procedure. Dr Oskar Sylwestrzak from the Polish Mother’s – Research Institute presented a diagnostically challenging situation involving normally positioned great arteries despite ventricular discordance. Finally, Prof. Iwona Strzelecka addressed missed prenatal diagnosis of d-TGA, discussing the respective roles of individual diagnostic errors and limitations related to the organisation of the healthcare system.

The subsequent sessions returned to a case-oriented format. Dr Oskar Sylwestrzak presented the application of the maternal hyperoxygenation test in fetal cardiac disproportion. Dr Jan Modzelewski from the Medical University of Warsaw presented the experience of a tertiary referral centre with fetal cardiac tumours treated with sirolimus. Dr Paweł Bartnik, also from the Medical University of Warsaw, described fetal hypothyroidism complicated by secondary circulatory failure. Dr Grzegorz Napiórkowski presented a case of twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence associated with d-TGA, and Dr Daniel Boroń from Poznań University of Medical Sciences discussed fetal double-outlet right ventricle.

The final clinical session further demonstrated the wide spectrum of abnormalities encountered in contemporary fetal medicine. Dr Julia Murlewska from the Polish Mother’s – Research Institute presented an unusual extracardiac fetal anomaly accompanied by functional cardiac changes. Dr Jerzy Węgrzynowski from in discussed a symptomatic fetal intra-abdominal cyst. Dr Łukasz Sokołowski addressed diagnostic pitfalls related to fetal conotruncal abnormalities, while Dr Marek Blitek presented a case of Cantrell pentalogy. Dr Łucja Biały discussed the outcome of a neonate with congenital pulmonary valve stenosis accompanied by diaphragmatic hernia, and Dr Hubert Słodziński from the in presented the diagnosis and management of a benign fetal intracardiac tumour.

The VII Kardio-Prenatal Conference demonstrated the remarkable breadth of contemporary fetal cardiology and the importance of maintaining continuity between prenatal and postnatal care. The participation of specialists from Polish and international centres, including experts from the United States, Italy, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates, enabled the discussion of fetal cardiac disease from multiple complementary perspectives. Several plenary sessions were conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation, further emphasising the international character of the meeting.

The program also illustrated how substantially the field of prenatal cardiology has evolved. Fetal cardiac assessment is no longer limited to the anatomical identification of congenital heart defects. Increasing emphasis is placed on functional assessment, individualised risk stratification, genetic diagnostics, prediction of neonatal condition, appropriate selection of the place and timing of delivery, and coordination of postnatal intervention. At the same time, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, advances in fetal therapy, and progress in neonatal cardiac care continue to expand both diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities.

By combining expert lectures, multidisciplinary discussions, clinical case presentations, and contributions from students and young researchers, the VII Kardio-Prenatal Conference created a comprehensive forum for the exchange of knowledge and clinical experience. Perhaps the most important message emerging from its scientific program was that prenatal diagnosis should not be regarded as an endpoint. Rather, it represents the beginning of a coordinated continuum of care extending from fetal life through delivery and neonatal stabilisation to paediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery. Such interdisciplinary cooperation remains fundamental to improving the management of fetuses and newborns affected by congenital heart disease.

The scientific importance of the VII Kardio-Prenatal Conference organised by the Polish Prenatal Cardiology Society was further emphasised by the honorary patronage granted to the event. The conference was held under the Honorary Patronage of the Minister of Health and the Honorary Patronage of Prof. Janusz Piekarski, Rector of the Medical University of Łódź. The event was also supported by the Polish Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians (PTGiP). Furthermore, the project was financed from the state budget by the Minister of Science within the “Wektory Nauki” (“Vectors of Science”) Programme.