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[Congenital heart defects as a cause of still birth and infant mortality]
Insights
Congenital heart diseases affected 6.6% of infants in the German Democratic Republic in 1979. Maternal age over 40 and prematurity were significant risk factors for these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Neonatalogy
- Public Health
Context:
- In 1979, the German Democratic Republic recorded 4,686 stillbirths and infant deaths.
- Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) represented 6.6% of these cases, totaling 307 infants.
- This analysis focused on 294 deceased infants with isolated CHDs.
Purpose:
- To investigate the prevalence and common types of isolated congenital heart diseases in stillbirths and infants up to one year of age.
- To identify associated risk factors, including maternal age, prematurity, and birth weight.
- To describe the mortality patterns of infants diagnosed with CHDs.
Summary:
- The most frequent CHDs identified were Hypoplastic Left Heart (9.9%), Ventricular Septal Defect (9.9%), Transposition of Great Vessels (8.8%), Coarctation of the Aorta (7.1%), and Common Truncus Arteriosus (5.8%).
- Infant mortality was high, with 80% of the analyzed infants dying within the first three months of life.
- Significant risk factors included advanced maternal age (over 40 years) and prematurity (less than 37 weeks gestation).
Impact:
- This study highlights the significant burden of congenital heart diseases on infant mortality.
- Findings underscore the importance of maternal age and gestational age as critical factors in CHD risk.
- The data provides valuable epidemiological insights for public health initiatives and clinical management of CHDs in neonates.
Abstract:
Among 4,686 still-births and children died from 0 to 1 a in the German Democratic Republic in 1979 there were 307 (6.6%) isolated congenital heart diseases. We only analyzed 294 died infants. The first 5 diagnoses were: Hypoplastic left heart (all infants died within the first 28 d) 9.9%, Ventricular septal defect 9.9%, Transposition of great vessels 8.8%, Coarctation aorta 7.1%, Common truncus arteriosus 5.8%. The most important results are an interesting frequency with advancing years of mothers (3.4% in 10,000 mothers of live-births aged 16 a and less to 20.6% at the age of 40 a and over (see Fig. 1), 13% premature children (under 37 weeks of gestation), 23% children under 2,500 g birth weight, 55% boys and 45% girls. 80% of the above 294 infants died within the first 3 months.