Major Congenital Heart Defects in Fetuses Linked to Increased Risk of Preeclampsia and Preterm Birth: Research
Click to start listening
New Delhi, Dec 20 (NationPress) A study indicates that a fetus diagnosed with major congenital heart defects (MCHDs) could face a threefold increase in the risk of severe pregnancy complications like preeclampsia and preterm birth.
These defects occur in approximately 1 in 100 live births, posing risks to both maternal health and the long-term prognosis for the child.
Researchers from the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen discovered that around 23 percent of pregnancies impacted by fetal MCHD lead to negative obstetric outcomes, including preeclampsia, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, and placental abruption.
The research was based on an analysis of 534,170 pregnancies, with 745 cases complicated by fetal MCHDs in Denmark. Only live births occurring after 24 gestational weeks and without chromosomal abnormalities were considered for this study.
Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the study also examined 11 different MCHD subtypes such as univentricular heart, transposition of the great arteries (TGA), and atrioventricular septal defect.
Information regarding the obstetric risk profile for specific MCHD subtypes is scarce, which hampers the advancement of preventive measures.
Pregnancies complicated by MCHDs showed an adverse obstetric outcome rate of 22.8 percent.
While fetal growth restriction was noted in 6.7 percent of MCHD pregnancies, a notable prevalence of preeclampsia was identified in 6.2 percent of these cases.
Moreover, there was a 15.7 percent increased risk of preterm births associated with MCHD pregnancies. Although placental abruption was infrequent, it displayed a significant upward trend at 0.9 percent.
All MCHD subtypes, with the exception of TGA, were linked to significantly higher odds of the composite adverse outcome. The greatest risk was found in pregnancies with truncus arteriosus, pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, and Ebstein anomaly.
The research team validated their findings through a meta-analysis involving 5,993 MCHD cases. Importantly, pregnancies affected by fetal TGA did not show increased risks for preeclampsia, preterm birth, or fetal growth restriction, according to the results.
