Incidence of congenital heart disease in Beijing, China.
BACKGROUND
The incidence of congenital heart disease has been studied in developed countries for many years, but rarely in the mainland of China. Fetal echocardiographic screening for congenital heart disease was first performed in Beijing in the early 2000s, but the impact was not clear. The current study was undertaken to determine the incidence of congenital heart disease in Beijing, China and to estimate the impact of fetal echocardiography on the incidence of liveborn congenital heart disease.


METHODS
The study involved all infants with congenital heart disease among the 84 062 total births in Beijing during the period of January 1 and December 31, 2007. An echocardiographic examination was performed on every baby suspected to have congenital heart disease, prenatally or/and postnatally.


RESULTS
A total of 686 infants were shown to have congenital heart disease among 84 062 total births. The overall incidence was 8.2/1000 total births. Mothers of 128 of 151 babies diagnosed prenatally were chosen to terminate the pregnancy. Two of the 151 infants died in utero. A specific lesion was identified for each infant and the frequencies of lesions were determined for each class of infants (total births, stillbirths and live births). The incidence of congenital heart disease in stillbirths and live births was 168.8/1000 and 6.7/1000, respectively. The difference between the incidence of total birth and the incidence of live birth was statistically significant (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of liveborn congenital heart disease in Beijing is within the range reported in developed countries. Fetal echocardiography reduce significantly the incidence of liveborn congenital heart disease.
Yang
Xue-yong
XY
Department of Surgery, Pediatric Cardiac Center, Cardiovascular Institute and Fu Wai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Li
Xiao-feng
XF
Lü
Xiao-dong
XD
Liu
Ying-long
YL
D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods; D050497:Stillbirth / Q000453:epidemiology