Congenital heart disease epidemiology and risk factors

Background: Congenital heart disease is one the most important causes of infant mortality and morbidity worldwide. Maternal health factors are thought to play a role in the development of these disorders, yet, to this day, evidence remains insufficient to derive specific prevention measures. Aim: To investigate risk factors affecting mothers during pregnancy and how these contribute to the development of congenital heart defects in the offspring. Methods: We will combine several prospectively collected data sources from the Finnish National Registries which provide detailed health information from almost 2 million pregnancies - including electronic health records of mothers and their offspring, national congenital anomaly registries, and maternal blood samples taken early in pregnancy that will be re-analysed for this study. We will investigate maternal chronic conditions (including a range of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions) therapeutic drug exposure, and maternal infections (across a broad range of viral, bacterial and parasitic pathogens) during pregnancy, most of which have not been investigated at such a large scale. Expected Outcomes: Improved understanding of the role of maternal health in the development of offspring congenital heart diseases could inform the future development of prevention measures and limit the number of children affected by these lifelong conditions.