The relationship between birth weight and congenital heart disease at Ahmed Gasim Cardiac Centre, Bahri, Sudan

Abstract

Low birth weight is a known comorbidity of congenital heart disease (CHD). This study examines the relationship between CHD and birth weight of singletons, while attempting to remove factors that influence birth weight, and assesses the impact of CHD on growth in later life. The main objective is to study the relationship between birthweight and CHD. This is a cross-sectional study of 141 samples, covering all patients who were referred to the Paediatric Echocardiography Lab at Ahmed Gasim Cardiac Centre between September and October 2016. Infants with genetic syndromes or other major extracardiac abnormalities were excluded. The findings of this study clearly demonstrate that infants with CHD are more likely to be of low birth weight than the general Sudanese population, by a factor of 2.6. Of the sample, 31.9% were born with low or very low birthweight. The mean birth weight of the cases was 2.59 kg, which is 17.3% and 542.4 g less than the national average. CHD that cause a decrement in birth weight in a descending order of severity were atrial septal defect (-721 g/23%), patent ductus arteriosus (-669 g/21%), ventricular septal defect (-610 g/19%), pulmonary stenosis (-548 g/13%) and tetralogy of Fallot (248 g/8%). Pre/postnatal growth impairment is a common feature among children with CHD. No statistically significant relationship was found between the degree of birth weight/weight to age decrement and the specific type of hemodynamic disturbance. Our results are comparable to other studies that have been undertaken. However, Sudanese patients display larger birthweight deficits than other populations.

Prevalence of Congenital Heart Disease in Chinese Children With Different Birth Weights and Its Relationship to the Neonatal Birth Weight

“…Other studies showed that the mean birth weight of pure VSD and ASD case subjects was 2.52 and 2.41 kg, which was correspondingly 23% (deficit of 612 g) and 28.6% (deficit of 722 g) less than the control, and the comorbidity of congenital cardiovascular malformations was low birth weight, but the reasons for this association remained obscure ( 44 ). It is well established that ventricular and atrial septum are associated with a significant decrease in birth weight ( 5 , 45 ). Different types of CHD may lead to LBW due to hemodynamics changes, and the specific mechanisms need to be further explored.…”

“…Some studies have shown that there is an association between CHD and LBW, which is a known comorbidity of CHD. A study based on the population of Sudan shows that infants with CHD are 2.6 times more likely to develop LBW than the general Sudanese population ( 5 ). CHDs that caused a decrement in birth weight in a descending order of severity are atrial septal defect (721 g/23%), patent ductus arteriosus (669 g/21%), ventricular septal defect (610 g/19%), pulmonary stenosis (548 g/13%), and tetralogy of Fallot (248 g/8%) ( 5 ).…”

“…A study based on the population of Sudan shows that infants with CHD are 2.6 times more likely to develop LBW than the general Sudanese population ( 5 ). CHDs that caused a decrement in birth weight in a descending order of severity are atrial septal defect (721 g/23%), patent ductus arteriosus (669 g/21%), ventricular septal defect (610 g/19%), pulmonary stenosis (548 g/13%), and tetralogy of Fallot (248 g/8%) ( 5 ). In addition, the prevalence of CHD in very premature/VLBW infants is higher than that of general live births, and it is independent of other risk factors and causes death and serious complications ( 6 – 8 ).…”

Congenital heart diseases in premature newborns.

“…11 Elshazali HOH et al also observed similar association in their study where out of 141 newborns, 31.9% were born with low or very low birthweight. 12 Researchers from other parts of the world have attributed very preterm or low birth-weight to be associated with higher rates of CHDs among newborns. [13][14][15] There is a need to create awareness in childcare health facilities about proper screening and care for premature newborns regarding increased risk of CHD.…”

Article authored by three generations: International lifetime commitment to child health

“…However, the most notable is an article on the relationship between birth weight and congenital heart disease, authored by three generations! The first author of this article is Hafiz Osama Hafiz Elshazali, Sixth Year Medical student, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Sudan [2]. The article represents the findings of a research project which he complet-ed in his fifth year of medical training as part of the course in Community Medicine.…”