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[Alcohol in pregnancy and fetal heart damage]
H Löser1, J R Pfefferkorn, H Themann
1Universitäts-Kinderklinik-Kardiologie Institut für Medizinische Cytobiologie, Universität Münster.
Insights
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of congenital heart defects in children. Fetal alcohol syndrome is linked to various heart malformations, highlighting alcohol as a preventable cause.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Teratology
- Public Health
Context:
- Alcohol abuse during pregnancy is a known teratogen.
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is associated with developmental abnormalities.
- Congenital heart defects (CHDs) represent a significant birth defect category.
Purpose:
- To investigate the prevalence and types of congenital heart defects in children diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
- To explore the relationship between the severity of FAS and the occurrence of CHDs.
- To examine histological evidence of alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy in affected infants.
Summary:
- A study of 216 children with FAS (1973-1991) found CHDs in 29.1% (63/216).
- Ventricular septal defects and atrial septal defects were most common. Alcohol-cardiomyopathy was observed in biopsies.
- CHDs were more frequent in severe FAS cases, but also occurred with less severe alcohol effects.
Impact:
- Establishes alcohol consumption during pregnancy, including social drinking, as a critical, preventable factor in CHD etiology.
- Underscores the need for comprehensive prenatal care and alcohol-abstinence counseling.
- Provides evidence for public health initiatives aimed at reducing alcohol-related birth defects.
Abstract:
Alcohol abuse and addiction during pregnancy can induce damage of the heart muscle and heart defects in the offspring. Between 1973 and 1991 216 children with fetal alcohol syndrome were diagnosed and examined for congenital heart defects. In 63 children (= 29,1%) heart defects were present, established mainly by heart catheterization and/or echocardiography. Most frequently ventricular septal defects (24/63) and atrial septal defects (23/63) occurred, less frequent were AV-defects (3), PDA (3), Fallots teralogy (5), and other malformations (5). Biopsy during heart surgery in 3 children revealed histological and electron microscopic changes of alcohol-cardiomyopathy. Heart defects are predominantly found in children with higher degree of severity concerning the clinical syndrome, less frequently in alcohol effects (4/38 = 11%). Alcohol in pregnancy, even in the course of so called social drinking, usual drinking and binge drinking has to be considered as an essential and preventable co-factor within the multifactorial etiology of congenital heart defects.