Sana Shabbir, Neelum Tahirkheli, Kashif Abbas, Samina Shamim.
Spectrum of Common Congenital Heart Diseases in Preterm Neonates.
J Dow Uni Health Sci Jan ;16(2):89-94.

Objective: To determine the frequency and clinical spectrum of common congenital heart disease (CHD) in preterm newborns attending public sector tertiary care hospital. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Liaquat National Hospital Karachi from October 2016 to March 2017. Record of preterm newborns having gestational age <=37 weeks admitted to NICU were included. Cardiovascular examination and echocardiography were performed. If a defect was discovered on echocardiography, the type of CHD was also documented. CHD was labeled as positive based on the presence of anyone of the following: visual septal defect (VSD), atrial septal defect (ASD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and tetralogy of fallot (TAF). Results: Of 106 patients, CHD was observed in 21 (19.8%) cases. Of these, VSD was found in 8 (38.1%), ASD in 5 (23.8%), while PDA and TOF in 4 (19%) each. A significant association of CHD was observed with birth weight (p-value <0.001), history of CHD in siblings (p-value <0.001), consanguinity (p-value 0.005), and history of unexplained deaths in siblings (p-value 0.011). The mean birth weight was found significantly higher among neonates without CHD as compared to the neonates with CHD i.e., 2.83 +- 0.61 kg vs. 2.05 +- 0.56 kg (p-value <0.001). Conclusion: The current study findings revealed that twenty percent of the preterm neonates admitted in NICU had CHD. Furthermore, an increased risk of CHD was observed in premature low birth weight neonates, those with history of CHD in siblings, history of unexplained deaths in siblings, and consanguineous marriage.

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