Parents' request for termination of pregnancy due to a congenital heart defect of the fetus in a country with liberal interruption laws

• Published in: The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine 2020-09, Vol.33 (17), p.2918-2926
• Main Authors: Pavlicek, Jan, Gruszka, Tomas, Polanska, Slavka, Dolezalkova, Erika, Matura, David, Spacek, Richard, Simetka, Ondrej, Salounova, Dana, Kacerovsky, Marian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Congenital heart defect; fetal echocardiography; screening; termination of pregnancy
• ISSN: 1476-7058; 1476-4954
• DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2018.1564029

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the prenatal rate of congenital heart defects (CHDs) and the frequency of termination of pregnancy (TOP) due to a CHD, depending on the severity of the defect and concomitant diseases of the fetus. Methods: The data were assessed retrospectively between 2002 and 2017. Ultrasound examination was performed mostly in the second trimester. For analysis, the CHDs were divided into three groups of severity and three groups of fetus impairment. Results: A total of 40,885 fetuses underwent echocardiography. The CHDs were detected in 1.0% (398/40,885) and were an isolated anomaly in 69% (275/398). Forty-nine percent (197/398) of families decided to TOP. In all groups of severity, the rate of TOP rose linearly when comparing isolated defects and cases with associated morphological and genetic impairments. The TOP was significantly dependent on the associated anomalies in patients with the most correctable defects (p