Comprasion of Prevalance and Distribution of Structural Heart Defects in High and Low Risk Pregnancies

  • Nazan Ozbarlas, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana Turkey, Turkey
  • Sevcan Erdem, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana Turkey, Turkey
  • Dr Osman Kucukosmanoglu, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana Turkey, Turkey
  • Cansun Demir, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana Turkey, Turkey
  • Cuneyt Evruke, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana Turkey, Turkey
  • Fatma Ozgunen, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana Turkey, Turkey

    • Objective –To evaluate the intrauterin prevelance and distribution of congenital heart defects (CHD) in high and low risk pregnancies.
    Methods-The records of 3782 patients who underwent fetal echocardiography (FE) at our pediatric cardiology unit between 1998 and 2008 years were reviewed for reason for referral and results of echocardiography. The patients were grouped by reason for referral into high and low risk groups.
    Results- Number of patients in high and low risk group was 2172 and 1610, respectively. Structural heart defects were found in 210 fetuses in both groups with the 5.6% prevelance. Most common defects were VSD (37.1%), AVSD (14.3%), HLHS (9.5%), abnormality of tricuspid valve (7.1%) and single ventricle (5.2%). Sensitivity of FE was 96% and specifity was 99% in our center.
    Prevelance of CHD was 7.6% (166/2172) in high risk group. (90 complex, 50 significant, 26 minor).
    Prevelance of CHD was 2.7% (44/1610) in low risk group. (9 complex, 13 significant, 22 minor). In this group CHD prevelance was high in particular conditions; such as intrauterin death in previous pregnancy (6.3%), abnormal first or second trimester screening tests (4.3%), multiple gestations (3.4%).
    Conclusion- We found the prevelance of CHD is higher in fetuses than birth prevelance in both groups. CHD rate is increased in high risk group as expected. However, the CHD prevelance found to be also increased in following groups: intrauterine deaths in previous pregnancies, abnormal screening tests and multiple gestation.We think there may be some additions to the well known high risk group.