Epidemiology of clinical findings and outcome in neonates with congenital heart disease

Background & Aims:  Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital anomaly, accounting for 28% of all congenital anomalies in infants. The present study was performed to determine the frequency, demographic characteristics, and clinical outcomes in neonates with CHD. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 341 neonates with CHD admitted to Motahhari Hospital in Urmia (Iran) during 2014-2020. The obtained data were statistically analyzed by SPSS. Results: Based on the results, the prevalence of CHD was 17 per 1000 live births, equal to 1.7%. The mean age of patients was 5.13 ± 6.41 days. Regarding gender, 61% of patients were boys, and 39% were girls. The mean birth weight and the mean gestational age of the patients were 3079.56 ± 735.547 gr and 37.14 ± 2.232 weeks, respectively. Also, the mean length of hospital stay was 5.87 ± 3.568 days. Ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, coarctation of the aorta, and transposition of the great arteries were detected in 29.9%, 19.1%, 11.4%, 9.1%, and 7.6% of the patients, respectively. Mortality was found in 23.8% of patients. In addition, 51.02% presented with respiratory distress, 34.31% with cyanosis, and 9.3% with a heart murmur. Conclusion: CHD is a common congenital anomaly in hospitalized neonates. Intraventricular and atrial wall defects are the most frequent congenital disease in neonates with CHD, especially in the male gender.