title: Association of consanguinity with congenital heart diseases in a teaching hospital in Western Iraq.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the association of consanguinity as a risk factor for congenital heart diseases (CHDs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with suggestive signs of CHD admitted to the Al-Ramadi Maternity and Children Hospital, Al-Anbar Governorate, Iraq from January 2009 to January 2010 were subject to diagnostic investigations. Case data includes: name, age, gender, and cause of admission. Parents data includes: age, residence, degree of consanguinity, and history of family recurrent CHDs. Three controls to one case (3:1) were selected to compare their consanguinity with the CHD cases. Odds ratio was used for the measurement of consanguinity and other variable risks on CHD occurrence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CHD cases were 86. Selected controls were 258 non-CHD cases. The most recorded subtypes were ventricular septal defect (VSD), atrial septal defect (ASD), and tetralogy of fallot (ToF). Consanguinity was found in 78% of cases and 43.3% in controls. First cousin consanguinity comprised 66.2% in cases and 35.6% in controls from all their marriages. Consanguinity was found a significant risk factor, more affecting the VSD and ASD than ToF subtypes, while parental age and infant gender were not found as risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consanguinity proved to be a risk factor for CHD. Further social education of the risks of consanguineous marriages in this tribal population is needed to reduce the prevalence of these morbid and mortal anomalies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Medical College, Al-Anbar University, Al-Ramadi, Iraq. zaidrasheedalani@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Zaid R
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Al-Ani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003241:Consanguinity; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007493:Iraq / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult