The following is a summary of “Maternal Cardiovascular Health in Early Pregnancy and the Risk of Congenital Heart Defects in Offspring,” published in the April 2024 issue of Obstetrics and Gynaecology by Zhang et al.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) stands as the prevailing congenital disability, prompting this study to investigate the nexus between maternal cardiovascular health (CVH) and the risk of CHD in offspring.

Methodologically, the researchers drew upon prospective data from the Fujian Birth Cohort Study, encompassing pregnant women within 14 weeks of gestation, collected from March 2019 to December 2022. The comprehensive assessment of maternal CVH incorporated seven key metrics, spanning physical activity, smoking status, sleep duration, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting plasma glucose levels. Each metric was categorized as ideal, intermediate, or poor, with specific scoring criteria. Participants were further stratified into high, moderate, and low CVH categories based on the cumulative CVH score. The association between maternal CVH and offspring CHD risk was elucidated via log-binomial regression models.

Among the 19,810 participants, with an average age of 29.7 years (standard deviation: 3.9), 39.6% were categorized as having high CVH, 55.3% as having moderate CVH, and 5.1% as having low CVH. The overall CHD rate in offspring averaged 2.52%, with rates of 2.35%, 2.52%, and 3.84% observed across the high, moderate, and low CVH categories, respectively (P = 0.02). Adjusted relative risks (RRs) revealed significantly reduced risks of offspring CHD among women with high CVH (RR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.45-0.90, P = 0.001) and moderate CVH (RR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.48-0.93, P = 0.02) compared to those with low CVH. Notably, ideal total cholesterol emerged as the sole metric significantly associated with lower offspring CHD risk (RR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.59-0.83, P = 0.002).

In conclusion, pregnant women exhibiting high or moderate CVH in early pregnancy showcased diminished risks of offspring CHD compared to those with low CVH. This underscores the critical importance of monitoring and optimizing CVH during pre-pregnancy counseling and early prenatal care initiatives.

Source: bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-024-06529-5