Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2007 Jan;29(1):38-43.
doi: 10.1002/uog.3900.

Immediate and long-term outcomes in children with prenatal diagnosis of selected isolated congenital heart defects

I B Fuchs  1 , H Müller  1 , H Abdul-Khaliq  2 , T Harder  3 , J W Dudenhausen  1 , W Henrich  1
Affiliations
Free article
Comparative Study

Immediate and long-term outcomes in children with prenatal diagnosis of selected isolated congenital heart defects

I B Fuchs et al. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2007 Jan.
Free article

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the immediate postinterventional and long-term outcomes of children with a prenatal and those with a postnatal diagnosis of isolated congenital heart defects.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 257 children admitted over a 10-year period to our pediatric cardiology unit with one of four different cardiac lesions: transposition of the great arteries, atrioventricular canal defect, tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary atresia; 208 were diagnosed postnatally and 49 prenatally. Management was identical in the two patient groups.

Results: The median age at admission was 22 days in the postnatal group and 10 days in the prenatal group. In the prenatal group there was a higher median preoperative O2 saturation level (P=0.07), fewer cases of preoperative cardiac failure (P=0.03), fewer cases of preoperative closure of the duct (P=0.04), a shorter median duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation (P=0.03), less need for resurgery (P=0.02) and a shorter median duration of stay in the intensive care unit (P=0.05). Postoperative survival was 96% in the prenatal group and 90% in the postnatal group. Assessment of long-term survival revealed a longer catheter intervention-free interval in the prenatal group (P=0.03). At the 1-year follow-up, residual impaired cardiac function was less frequent in the prenatal than in the postnatal group (P=0.04). Overall survival at maximum follow-up was 92% in the prenatal and 84% in the postnatal group.

Conclusions: Prenatal diagnosis of isolated congenital heart defects allows admission for surgery in a more stable condition and is associated with lower short-term and long-term morbidity and mortality.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Jaeggi ET, Sholler GF, Jones OD, Cooper SG. Comparative analysis of pattern, management and outcome of pre- versus postnatally diagnosed major congenital heart disease: a population-based study. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2001; 17: 380-385.
    1. Khoshnood B, De Vigan C, Vodovar V, Goujard J, Lhomme A, Bonnet D, Goffinet F. Trends in prenatal diagnosis, pregnancy termination, and perinatal mortality of newborns with congenital heart disease in France, 1983-2000: a population-based evaluation. Pediatrics 2005; 115: 95-101.
    1. Stumpflen I, Stumpflen A, Wimmer W, Bernaschek G. Effect of detailed foetal echocardiography as part of routine prenatal ultrasonographic screening on detection of congenital heart disease. Lancet 1996; 348: 854-857.
    1. Perolo A, Prandstraller D, Ghi T, Gargiulo G, Leone O, Bovicelli L, Pilu G. Diagnosis and management of fetal cardiac anomalies: 10 years of experience at a single institution. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2001; 18: 615-618.
    1. Bonnet D, Coltri A, Butera G, Fermont L, Le Bidois J, Kachaner J, Sidi D. Detection of transposition of the great arteries in fetuses reduces neonatal morbidity and mortality. Circulation 1999; 99: 916-918.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources