Cardiac malformations in spontaneous abortions

doi:10.1016/0167-5273(85)90170-6

International Journal of Cardiology

Volume 7, Issue 1, January 1985, Pages 29-43

https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-5273(85)90170-6 Get rights and content

Abstract

A detailed examination of 247 spontaneously aborted foetuses, under the age of 24 weeks gestation, showed 38 instances of cardiac malformation (15.4%). Very early specimens were not included. There was a bimodal relationship with maternal age and parity and a higher incidence in summer conceptions, but there was no apparent association with maternal blood groups. There were more male foetuses and they had proportionately more malformed hearts than the females. There was a marked inverse relationship with foetal age; in early foetuses, < 25 mm, cardiac malformations were present in 68%. A wide variety of morphological abnormalities was encountered; these are listed. No cardiac malformations occurred in 72 threatened abortions which went to full-term delivery.

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The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of covert congenital cardiac malformations. A retrospective analysis was made of a personal series of 4,953 consecutive postmortem examinations performed over 35 years (1946–1980) in a mixed urban and rural region of North Lincolnshire, England. The subjects were 4,210 adults and 743 children (under the age of 16 years). There were 1,635 hospital cases and 3,318 coroner's cases; of the latter, 2,651 were instances of sudden and unexpected death. Four adults and 99 children with known or suspected congenital heart disease were excluded from the analysis. Of the remaining 4,850 cases, 25 had benign covert cardiovascular malformation (0.52%), and in approximately 54 more a covert malformation was considered to have been a possible contributor to death. This latter group consisted of 44 cases of bifoliate calcified aortic valves, 6 cases of cardiomyopathy, and 4 miscellaneous cases. As sudden deaths were grossly over-represented in the series, an approximate correction factor reduced the prevalence of this group to 0.16%, giving a prevalence of 0.68% for all covert cases. According to these data, the true prevalence of congenital cardiac malformations is probably about twice that of the generally accepted level in live births. The implications for epidemiological studies pertinent to the etiology of congenital heart disease are indicated.
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^☆: The author is supported by the National Heart Research Fund.

View full text

Original studyCardiac malformations in spontaneous abortions☆

Abstract

Lancet

Lancet

Am J Obstet Gynecol

Am J Obstet Gynecol

Lancet

Lancet

Lancet

Lancet

Lancet

Lancet

Lancet

Lancet

Lancet

Lancet

Lancet

Lancet

Lancet

Lancet

Am J Obstet Gynecol

Terathanasia

Teratology

Frequency of congenital hereditary disease with special reference to mutation

Br Med Bull

The California child health and development studies. Study design and some illustrative findings on congenital heart disease

On the frequency of localised anomalies in human embryos and infants at birth

Am J Anat

Genesis of hydatidiform mole

Arch Pathol

Minimum criteria required to prove prima facie case of traumatic abortion or miscarriage. An analysis of 1000 spontaneous abortions

Ann Surg

Zur Ätiologie der Fehlgeburt

Arch Gynäkol

The significance of developmental anomalies of ova in the aetiology of abortions

Acta Morphol Acad Sci Hung

Observations on the results of pregnancies in women resident in Belfast. II. Abortions, hydatidiform mole and ectopic pregnancies

Ann Hum Genet

Causes of spontaneous abortion: defective ova and trophoblast: essential abortion

Chromosome abnormalities in early spontaneous abortions

J Med Genet

Variation in the incidence of congenital malformations in spontaneous abortions, stillbirths and artificially interrupted pregnancies

Humangenetik

Studies on abortuses: a survey of pathologic ova in the Carnegie Embryological collection

Contrib Embryol

A cytogenetic study of human spontaneous abortions using banding techniques

Hum Genet

Original study
Cardiac malformations in spontaneous abortions☆