title: Association of certain chronic maternal diseases with the risk of specific congenital heart defects: a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous epidemiological studies have evaluated cases with all congenital heart defects (CHDs), rather than analysing different types of CHD. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible association of certain chronic maternal diseases with the risk of different types of CHD, because the role of possible environmental factors in the origin of CHDs is unclear in the vast majority of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Different types of CHD, diagnosed after lethal outcome (autopsy report) or after surgical intervention (catheter or correction), were evaluated in order to estimate the possible role of chronic maternal diseases in their origin. This analysis was based on the rates of medically recorded chronic maternal diseases in 3562 live-born cases with CHDs, 38,151 population controls without any birth defects, and 16,602 malformed controls with other isolated congenital abnormalities, using the data set of the population-based Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities (1980-1996).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maternal epilepsy treated with carbamazepine and migraine were found to be associated with higher risk of ventricular septal defect; panic disorders were associated with higher risk of hypoplastic left heart; type I diabetes mellitus was associated with higher risk of coarctation of the aorta; chronic hypertension was associated with higher risk of ventricular septal defect, common atrioventricular canal and common truncus; and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia was associated with higher risk of atrial septal defect secundum, common atrioventricular canal and ventricular septal defect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, certain chronic maternal diseases were found to be associated with higher risk of specific CHDs. Appropriate treatment of these diseases may help to prevent these CHDs.
authors.affiliation: Versys Clinics, Human Reproduction Institute, Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: attila.vereczkey@versysclinics.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vereczkey
authors.affiliation: Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gerencsér
authors.affiliation: Foundation for the Community Control of Hereditary Diseases, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Czeizel
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Szabó
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001017:Aortic Coarctation / Q000453:epidemiology; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006343:Heart Septal Defects; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000453:epidemiology; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D018636:Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000453:epidemiology; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013614:Tachycardia, Paroxysmal / Q000453:epidemiology; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002220:Carbamazepine
keywords: Congenital heart defects; Diabetes mellitus; Epilepsy; Migraine; Population-based case–control study