About the Fetal Heart Academy

Monique Haak MD, PhD

Maternal-Fetal Medicine Consultant and Fetal surgeon at the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

She graduated at the University of Groningen, but undertook her post-graduate training and PhD in the VU medical Center, Amsterdam. Her PhD concerned first trimester echocardiography, and the association between heart defects and increased nuchal translucency.

During her tenure in Amsterdam, she worked at the laboratory of Anatomy of the Leiden University, and was trained in cardiac morphology. She absolutely fell for the beauty of the fetal heart and the complexity of heart defects. In 2011, she returned to the Leiden University Medical Center, the largest center for congenital heart defects in the Netherlands. Heading the fetal heart program, and joining the team of fetal surgeons, performing laser surgery, intrauterine blood transfusion, fetal shunting and fetal aortic balloon valvuloplasties.

Monique Haak is dedicated to teaching proper imaging of the normal and abnormal fetal heart, and initiated the fetal echocardiography course in the Netherlands, in which anatomy meets ultrasound teaching. She is a regular invite for training sessions, both national and international.

She has published over one hundred scientific publications. Screening for fetal heart defects, nuchal translucency, early echocardiography and the association between fetal neurodevelopmental delay and congenital heart defects are her main areas of interest.

In case of questions, contact FHA at: ask@fetalheartacademy.nl. Please note that response may take a while.