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Published on: May 5, 2018
Preterm birth and congenital heart defects: a population-based study.
Enora Laas1, Nathalie Lelong, Anne-Claire Thieulin
1INSERM UMR S953, Recherche Épidémiologique sur la Santé Périnatale et la Santé des Femmes et des Enfants, UPMC, Université Paris-6, Paris, France. enolaas@gmail.com
Pediatrics
|September 5, 2012
Summary
Newborns with congenital heart defects (CHD) have double the risk of preterm birth (PTB), primarily spontaneous PTB. The PTB risk varied significantly across different CHD categories.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Medicine
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Preterm birth (PTB) and congenital heart defects (CHD) are leading causes of perinatal mortality and disability.
- Limited data exist on the relationship between CHD and PTB.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the risk of PTB in newborns with CHD using population-based data.
- To investigate specific associations between CHD categories and PTB.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a population-based cohort study of 2189 live births with CHD (2005-2008).
- Categorized CHD using an anatomic and clinical classification.
- Compared PTB rates in the CHD cohort to the general population using French National Perinatal Survey data (2003).
Main Results:
- 13.5% of newborns with CHD were preterm.
- Newborns with CHD had a twofold higher odds of PTB compared to the general population (OR 2.0).
- The increased PTB risk was mainly due to spontaneous PTB and persisted after excluding other anomalies.
Conclusions:
- Newborns with CHD face a significantly higher risk of PTB, predominantly spontaneous.
- The risk of PTB varied across different categories of CHD.
- Findings may inform hypotheses on developmental links between CHD and PTB.
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