Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND :
Congenital heart disease (CHD) define as abnormalities of heart structure that originate before birth, they are responsible for more deaths in the first year of life than any other birth defects.
OBJECTIVE:
To determine the prevalence of the identifiable CHDs and to identify risk factors that may predispose for its occurrence .
METHODS:
This is a case series hospital based study carried out in IB- IN- Al-Atheer teaching hospital of pediatric in Mosul city. during the period from April 2013 to April 2014 . 460 cases with CHD were compared with an equal number of controls selected from the general population and individually matched for age, sex, and family practitioner Information was obtained by Questionnaire sheets ,medical examination and investigations.
RESULT:
Out of 75320 attendants, 680 cases were referred to echocardiography unit where 460 cases of CHD were detected, the prevalence was (6.1/1000 patients). Atrial septal defect (42. %), ventricular septal defect was detected (30%) and Patent ductus arteriosus (9.3%) are the most common CHD detected. More than half of cases of CHD (86%) are detected at infancy with female- male ratio of 1.4:1 An association was found between family history, consanguinity and occurrence of CHD. Also an association was found between maternal risk factors such as mothers disease ,drug intake, obesity, smooking during pregnancy.
CONCLUSION:
CHD is a public health problem among infants and young children and there are many risk factors showed a significant effect on its occurrence such as positive family history, consanguinity and material risk factors during pregnancy So proper and timely counseling, regular antenatal care. folate supplementation especially during the most sensitive period of embryogenesis is essential to avoid congenital heart malformation
KEY WORD : congenital heart disease .