New Delhi, Dec 20
Foetus suffering from major congenital heart defects (MCHDs) may triple the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preeclampsia and preterm birth, finds a study.
MCHDs occur in approximately 1 in 100 live births, and can negatively impact both the health of the mother and the long-term outcomes for the child.
Researchers from the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen showed that about 23 per cent of pregnancies affected by foetal MCHD also result in adverse obstetric outcomes including preeclampsia, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, and placental abruption.
The findings were based on data from 534,170 pregnancies, including 745 cases complicated by foetal MCHDs in Denmark. Pregnancies resulting in live births after 24 gestational weeks and without chromosomal aberrations were included in the study.
The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, also assessed 11 MCHD subtypes, including univentricular heart, transposition of the great arteries (TGA), and atrioventricular septal defect.
Data on the obstetric risk profile for specific MCHD subtypes are limited and thus slow down the development of preventive interventions.
Pregnancies complicated by MCHDs suffered an adverse obstetric outcome rate of 22.8 per cent.