How are children’s lives affected now?

CoA is a condition in which part of the body’s main artery – the aorta – is narrower than usual, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood around the body. Newborn babies with severe CoA often require surgery or other corrective procedures shortly after birth.

“Babies can suddenly become very pale, unwell and breathless within the first few weeks of life,” says Professor Lamata. “If the condition is not recognised and treated promptly, it can lead to life-threatening complications.”

Detecting CoA before birth is important as it allows doctors to plan prompt treatment – and is known to improve both short- and long-term outcomes for babies. However, while routine ultrasound scans during pregnancy may suggest its occurrence, the diagnosis is usually only confirmed after birth. 

“Diagnosing CoA in the womb is challenging – some babies are missed, while others are wrongly suspected of having the condition,” says Professor Lamata. “This can cause anxiety for parents and make it harder for doctors to take steps to prevent problems earlier.”

How could this research help?

The researchers have previously shown that building 3D reconstructions of the baby’s aorta from fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can greatly improve the accuracy of diagnosing CoA before birth. However, these advanced scans are only available in a small number of specialist centres in the UK.

“We now want to adapt this approach so that similar 3D reconstructions can be generated from widely available, routine 2D ultrasound scans,” says Professor Lamata.

The team will develop a computational method that can automatically rebuild the 3D shape of the baby’s aorta from standard ultrasound scans – and test how accurately these models can predict CoA risk.

“Ultimately, this technology could enable improved detection of CoA risk as early as the routine 20-week pregnancy scan – reducing uncertainty for families and improving outcomes for babies,” says Professor Lamata. 

References 

1. Office for National Statistics. Vital statistics in the UK: births, deaths and marriages. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/vitalstatisticspopulationandhealthreferencetables  [website accessed 27 February 2026]
2. Ayra, B. & Maskatia, S. A. Coarctation of the aorta: Prenatal assessment, postnatal management and neonatal outcomes. Seminars in Perinatology 2022;46(4):151584.