Emerging trends in the prenatal diagnosis of complex CHD and its influence on infant mortality in this cohort

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Prenatal Diagnosis
• Congenital Heart Disease

Background:

• Fetal echocardiography is the primary method for prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD).
• Tertiary care centers play a crucial role in managing complex CHD cases.
• Understanding trends in prenatal diagnosis is vital for improving obstetric care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in prenatal diagnosis of complex congenital heart disease (CHD).
• To evaluate the benefits, specifically infant mortality outcomes, associated with prenatal diagnosis of complex CHD.
• To assess the impact of improved diagnostic techniques on CHD detection rates.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with complex CHD over an 18-year period.
• Analysis of prenatal detection rates for complex CHD.
• Study of early and late infant mortality outcomes in relation to prenatal diagnosis.

Main Results:

• Prenatal diagnosis was achieved in 68.8% of 381 complex CHD cases.
• Prenatal detection rates significantly increased from the first to the last quarter of the study period (p=0.001).
• Detection rates for conotruncal anomalies also showed an upward trend; however, no significant infant mortality benefit was observed with prenatal detection.

Conclusions:

• Advancements in obstetrical screening and diagnostic techniques have enhanced the prenatal detection of complex CHD.
• Despite increased detection rates, prenatal diagnosis of complex CHD did not demonstrate a survival advantage in infancy within this study cohort.
• Further research may be needed to identify factors influencing survival outcomes in prenatally diagnosed complex CHD.