title: Outcomes when congenital heart disease is diagnosed antenatally versus postnatally in the UK: a retrospective population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For major congenital heart disease, the benefits of antenatal diagnosis on some post-natal measures have been suggested. However, findings have been inconclusive and focus on short term outcome measures alone with little data from a UK population. Our aim is to describe differences in reported outcomes for patients born with isolated Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome or Transposition of the Great Arteries in a UK population, following either antenatal or postnatal diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective population-based study with case note review covering a 15 year period (1st January 1998 to 31st December 2012) in the British county of Leicestershire. Cases were identified from two local registers: the East Midlands and South Yorkshire Congenital Anomaly Register and a list of surgical patient held by the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total 52 cases of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome or Transposition of the Great Arteries were identified with 24 (46.2%) diagnosed antenatally. Maximum and minimum follow up was 181 and 16 months respectively. Median follow up was 83 months (IQR: 44-111). The risk of intubation in the postnatal period (OR: 4.64, 95% CI: 1.40 - 15.32) was greater in cases of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome or Transposition of the Great Arteries diagnosed after birth when compared to those diagnosed antenatally. There was a non-significant increase in the risk of metabolic acidosis in the postnatal period (OR: 12.5, 95% CI: 0.64 - 245.46). No differences in mortality or long-term outcomes were demonstrated between antenatally and postnatally diagnosed cohorts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results confirm data from American and European populations that, for a British population, an antenatal diagnosis of a major congenital heart disease can have a favourable impact on some postnatal outcome measures. There appears to be no evidence that time of diagnosis impacts on long-term outcome measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 6TP, UK. lkpeake@doctors.org.uk.
authors.forename: Lewis K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Peake
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 6TP, UK. msn@le.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Elizabeth S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Draper
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 6TP, UK. jlsb1@le.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Judith L S
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Budd
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 6TP, UK. df63@le.ac.uk.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D000138:Acidosis / Q000209:etiology; D001034:Apgar Score; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018636:Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008297:Male; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011379:Prognosis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014188:Transposition of Great Vessels / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology