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Frequency and spectrum of congenital heart defects among live births in Germany

A study of the competence network for congenital heart defects

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Abstract

Background

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common single organ malformations in humans. A comprehensive study was initiated within the Competence Network for Congenital Heart Defects to assess population-based nationwide prevalence data for Germany.

Methods

Study register of demographic and medical data of live births with CHD born between July 2006 and June 2007.

Results

Seven thousand two hundred forty-five live births and infants with CHD were registered in Germany by 260 participating institutions (prevalence 107.6 per 10,000 live births). The most common lesions were ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect and valvular pulmonary stenosis with 52.7, 18.3 and 6.6 per 10,000 live births, respectively. A single ventricle, tetralogy of Fallot and the complete transposition of the great arteries were the most common severe cardiac lesions (3.0, 2.7 and 2.3 per 10,000 live births). Parents reported that prenatal echocardiography had been performed in 53.8% of severe CHD cases with a cardiac defect detected in 77.5% of them.

Conclusion

The reported prevalences of severe CHD are within the range of regional and European comparative data. The prenatal detection rate of severe cardiovascular malformations is comparable to contemporary European registries. Postnatal diagnosis of the CHD has been made early in life.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to express our thanks to all cooperating paediatric cardiology institutions. They are cited in the “Supporting Information” [9]. We would like to thank J. Frei, A.-M. Körten, S. Pöpke, M. Frey, H. Brames and A. Meyer-Rapp for their support in data collection and management. The project was supported by the Competence Network for Congenital Heart Defects, under the sponsorship of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (FKZ 01GI0601).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin—Kompetenznetz Angeborene Herzfehler, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany

    Gerda Schwedler, Peter E. Lange & Ulrike Bauer

  2. Klinik fürPädiatrische Kardiologie, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany

    Angelika Lindinger & Julianna Olchvary

  3. Medical Informatics and Information Technology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany

    Ulrich Sax

  4. Institut für Biometrie und Medizinische Informatik, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany

    Brigitte Peters

  5. Bereich Klinische Epidemiologie, Institut für Epidemiologie und Sozialmedizin, Universität Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48129, Münster, Germany

    Hans-Werner Hense

Authors
  1. Gerda Schwedler
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  2. Angelika Lindinger
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  3. Peter E. Lange
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  4. Ulrich Sax
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  5. Julianna Olchvary
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  6. Brigitte Peters
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  7. Ulrike Bauer
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  8. Hans-Werner Hense
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hans-Werner Hense.

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Schwedler, G., Lindinger, A., Lange, P.E. et al. Frequency and spectrum of congenital heart defects among live births in Germany. Clin Res Cardiol 100, 1111–1117 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-011-0355-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-011-0355-7

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