title: Placenta-related complications in women carrying a foetus with congenital heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies pointed to an intrinsically angiogenic imbalance in CHD in the maternal and foetal circulation suggestive of impaired placentation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether pregnant women with a CHD foetus are at greater risk of placenta-related complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Perinatal results of women with a CDH foetus were compared with those of a non-selected population followed up at our centre. Multiple pregnancies and chromosomal abnormalities were excluded from the analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 279 pregnancies with CHD foetuses were included. Mothers were classified in three groups according to the foetal cardiac defect: 104 (37.3%) atrioventricular defect, 102 (36.5%) conotruncal anomalies and 73 (26.2%) left-ventricular outflow tract obstruction. A significantly higher incidence of pre-eclampsia was observed in the CHD group compared with the normal population (5.7% versus 1.2% p < 0.0001) [OR 5.96 (95% CI - 3.19-10.54)]. About 9.7% of foetuses with CHD had < 3rd birth weight percentile compared with 3% for the normal population [OR 3.32 (95% CI - 2.39-4.56)]. A higher incidence of stillbirth was also observed in the CHD group compared with the normal population (2.5% versus 0.4%) [OR 9.45 (95% CI - 3.35-23.3)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women carrying a foetus with CHD have a high risk of pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. The relationship between CHD and placenta-related complications could be an encouraging topic for future research.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics, Maternal-Foetal Medicine Unit , Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain .
authors.forename: Aina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.affiliation: b Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital , Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain .
authors.forename: Queralt
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.affiliation: c Maternal and Child Health and Development Network II (SAMID II) RD12/0026, Institute of Health Carlos III , Madrid , Spain , and.|d Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research Centre for Nanomedicine, Vall D'Hebron Research Institute , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics, Maternal-Foetal Medicine Unit , Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain .
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ribera
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics, Maternal-Foetal Medicine Unit , Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain .
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arévalo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics, Maternal-Foetal Medicine Unit , Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain .
authors.forename: Onofre
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alomar
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics, Maternal-Foetal Medicine Unit , Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain .
authors.forename: Manel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics, Maternal-Foetal Medicine Unit , Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain .|c Maternal and Child Health and Development Network II (SAMID II) RD12/0026, Institute of Health Carlos III , Madrid , Spain , and.
authors.forename: Lluís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cabero
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics, Maternal-Foetal Medicine Unit , Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain .|c Maternal and Child Health and Development Network II (SAMID II) RD12/0026, Institute of Health Carlos III , Madrid , Spain , and.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carrerras
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics, Maternal-Foetal Medicine Unit , Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain .|c Maternal and Child Health and Development Network II (SAMID II) RD12/0026, Institute of Health Carlos III , Madrid , Spain , and.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Llurba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Congenital heart defects; intrauterine growth restriction; pre-eclampsia