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Parental risk factors associated with congenital heart disease in a Thai population: multivariable analysis
Chayamon Suwansumrit1, Worawan Jittham1
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand.
Insights
A family history of congenital heart defects (CHDs) and maternal exposure to secondhand smoke are key risk factors for CHDs in Thai children. Early screening via fetal echocardiograms is recommended for at-risk families.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Birth Defects Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are the leading cause of infant mortality globally.
- These complex conditions often necessitate multiple surgeries, significantly affecting long-term quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific risk factors associated with congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in a pediatric population in Thailand.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted at Naresuan University Hospital, Thailand.
- Data were collected via face-to-face interviews with parents of children diagnosed with CHDs (cases) and controls without cardiovascular abnormalities.
- Multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to determine parental factors linked to CHDs.
Main Results:
- The study included 249 cases and 304 controls.
- Ventricular septal defect was most common in less severe CHDs, while tetralogy of Fallot predominated in severe cases.
- Significant risk factors identified were a family history of CHDs (AOR 4.67) and maternal exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke (AOR 1.58).
Conclusions:
- Family history of CHDs and maternal exposure to second-hand smoke are significant risk factors for CHDs in the studied Thai population.
- Findings support the recommendation for fetal echocardiograms in families with a history of CHDs.
Background:
Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are the most common types of birth defects and contribute to a large proportion of infant morbidities and mortalities worldwide. These defects may require multiple surgical interventions impacting the infant's quality of life.
Objectives:
To identify risk factors associated with CHD in a population of Thai children.
Methods:
We conducted a case-control study of patients attending the Pediatric Clinic, Naresuan University Hospital, Thailand. We included data from pediatric patients diagnosed with CHDs as cases, and patients without cardiovascular abnormalities as controls. Risk data were collected from July 2019 to April 2020 using face-to-face interviews. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze parental factors associated with CHDs.
Results:
We included 249 cases classified into 2 groups according to severity and 304 patients as controls. For those less-severely affected (155 patients, 62.2%), ventricular septal defect (27.7%) was the most prevalent, whereas for those with severe CHDs, tetralogy of Fallot was the most prevalent (14.0%). There was no difference in sex distribution or maternal obstetric history between the groups. In multivariable analysis, a family history of CHDs (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 4.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.61-13.57, P = 0.005) and maternal exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke (AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.03-2.42, P = 0.002) were identified as significant risk factors for CHDs.
Conclusion:
A family history of CHDs and maternal exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke are associated with having offspring with CHDs in the population studied. These findings help us to encourage affected parents to obtain a fetal echocardiogram.
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