Evaluation of prenatal and postnatal outcomes of fetuses with intrauterine cardiac anomalies: Tertiary center experience.

Abstract

Objective: Fetal cardiac anomalies are among the leading causes of infant mortality due to congenital anomalies. The prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart diseases allows for the acquisition of prognostic information before birth and provides insights into treatment options either before or after delivery. This study aims to observe the correlation between the prenatal and postnatal diagnoses of fetuses with cardiac anomalies detected in our perinatology clinic. The goal, by tracking postnatal outcomes and identifying risk factors, is to assist in selecting the most appropriate approach, prioritizing maternal and fetal health.

Materials and methods: The records of 188 fetuses diagnosed during the prenatal period by the Perinatology Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, delivered and admitted to the Çukurova University Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and undergoing fetal echocardiography by the Pediatric Cardiology Clinic between January 2016 and December 2021, were retrospectively evaluated. Postnatal transthoracic echocardiography results of the infants were also reviewed.

Results: Our study was conducted with 188 pregnant women. The most frequently detected cardiac anomalies in the fetuses were conotruncal anomalies, followed by right heart anomalies. The concordance between prenatal and postnatal findings was 88.8%, with a sensitivity of 96.55% and a specificity of 100%. Among the live-born infants with congenital heart disease, significant differences were observed between the group that survived the neonatal period and those who did not, in terms of parental consanguinity, gestational age at birth, birth weight, APGAR scores, and the rate of chromosomal anomaly assessment.

Conclusion: Our study emphasized several risk factors. A high concordance was found between our prenatal and postnatal echocardiography findings. In conclusion, we believe that increasing awareness and making screening a routine practice are essential to contributing to healthier future generations. This can be achieved by reducing perinatal mortality and morbidity through appropriate management and equipment, thereby optimizing the well-being of affected individuals in society.