Related Experiment Videos
Boy:girl ratio in children born with different forms of cardiac malformation: a population-based study
1Center of Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic.
Insights
Sex ratios in congenital heart defects vary, with some conditions more common in boys and others in girls. This study analyzed birth data to identify these sex-based prevalence differences in cardiac malformations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Cardiology
- Medical Statistics
Background:
- Congenital heart defects (CHDs) represent a significant global health concern.
- Understanding the epidemiology of CHDs, including sex-based variations, is crucial for diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the boy:girl ratio for live births with cardiac malformations in Bohemia.
- To identify specific heart defects with significant sex-based prevalence differences.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of live birth data for cardiac malformations in Bohemia from 1977-1984.
- Inclusion of complete necropsy data for deceased children and comprehensive heart disease patient data.
- Calculation of sex ratios for overall CHDs and specific defect types.
Main Results:
- The overall boy:girl ratio for 4409 children with heart defects was 1.09:1, compared to 1.06:1 in the general child population.
- Higher male prevalence was observed in conditions such as double outlet right ventricle, hypoplastic left heart, and transposition of the great arteries.
- Higher female prevalence was noted in persistent ductus arteriosus, Ebstein's anomaly, and truncus arteriosus.
Conclusions:
- Significant sex-based differences exist in the prevalence of various congenital heart defects.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering sex as a factor in the etiology and presentation of CHDs.
- Further research into the underlying mechanisms driving these sex disparities is warranted.
Abstract:
The boy:girl ratio was calculated for all live births with cardiac malformation in Bohemia (population 6.3 million) from 1977-1984. Complete coverage of all deceased children in Bohemia by necropsy and of all patients with heart disease by our center enabled us to collect reliable data. Of 4409 children born with a heart defect, there were 2296 boys and 2113 girls, a ratio of 1.09:1. In the total population of 664,218 children born during the same period of time, the ratio was 1.06:1. A higher proportion of boys was found with double outlet right ventricle (2.68:1), hypoplastic left heart (2.25:1), transposition of the great arteries (2.11:1), aortic stenosis (1.95:1), pulmonary atresia (1.55:1), tricuspid atresia (1.45:1), coarctation of the aorta (1.30:1), and corrected transposition of the great arteries (1.25:1). There were significantly more girls than boys with persistent ductus arteriosus (1:1.66), Ebstein's anomaly of the tricuspid valve (1:1.57), truncus arteriosus (1:1.22), atrioventricular septal defect (1:1.17), and tetralogy of Fallot (1:1.12). The difference in sex prevalence in the remaining heart defects was less than 10%.