A recent study conducted by researchers at City St George’s, University of London, has found a 16% rise in the proportion of babies born with congenital heart defects following the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings, published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, highlight the ongoing impact of the pandemic on maternal and fetal health.
Congenital heart defects are the most prevalent type of birth anomaly, with approximately 13 babies diagnosed with such conditions each day in the UK. Globally, these defects affect about one in every 110 births and can include issues with heart valves, major blood vessels, and structural holes in the heart.
The researchers analyzed data from over 18 million births, utilizing birth certificate records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) covering the period from December 2016 to November 2022. They specifically compared the monthly incidence of congenital heart defects before the pandemic (December 1, 2016, to November 30, 2019) with the rates during the pandemic (December 1, 2020, to November 30, 2022).
To assess the pandemic’s impact, the study also examined the incidence of Down syndrome—a genetic condition unaffected by COVID-19—as a control. This comparison aimed to determine whether the observed increase in heart defects was due to the virus or other factors, such as reduced access to antenatal care during the pandemic.
The analysis included 11,010,764 births prior to the pandemic and 7,060,626 during the pandemic, adjusting for variables such as maternal BMI, diabetes, blood pressure, age, previous pregnancies, and the season when prenatal care began. The results showed an increase in congenital heart defects from 56.5 cases per 100,000 live births before the pandemic to 65.4 cases per 100,000 during the pandemic.
Notably, the incidence of Down syndrome remained stable throughout the study period, suggesting that the rise in heart defects was not merely a result of disrupted healthcare services.
Professor Asma Khalil, the lead author and a Professor of Obstetrics and Maternal Fetal Medicine at City St George’s, emphasized the need for further investigation into the reasons behind this increase. “Studying this large U.S. dataset has revealed an unexpected picture of how the pandemic has affected the hearts of unborn babies. We need to determine if the SARS-CoV-2 virus directly causes fetal heart problems during pregnancy and, if so, how it induces these changes,” she stated.
While such comprehensive data is not currently available in the UK, Professor Khalil highlighted the importance of examining whether similar patterns are observed globally. With COVID-19 still circulating and transmission rates increasing during winter months, she urged pregnant women to receive their vaccinations to protect both themselves and their babies.
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