Risk Factors for Ventricular Septal Defects in Murmansk County, Russia: A Registry-Based Study

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2018-06, Vol.15 (7), p.1320
• Main Authors: Kovalenko, Anton A, Anda, Erik Eik, Odland, Jon Øyvind, Nieboer, Evert, Brenn, Tormod, Krettek, Alexandra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Alcohol; Alcoholic beverages; Babies; Birth; Birth defects; Body mass; Body mass index; Body size; Cardiology: 771; cardiovascular malformations; Clinical medical disciplines: 750; Clinical Medicine; Confidence intervals; Congenital defects; congenital heart-defects; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; disease; Drug abuse; Environmental & Occupational; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; epidemiology; Ethics; Female; fetal alcohol syndrome; Folic acid; global prevalence; Health; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Health surveillance; Heart; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular - epidemiology; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular - etiology; Humans; Individ och samhälle VIDSOC; Individual and Society VIDSOC; Infant mortality; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Kardiologi: 771; Klinisk medicin; Klinisk medisinske fag: 750; Logistic Models; Male; maternal smoking; Medical disciplines: 700; Medisinske Fag: 700; metaanalysis; Neonates; Population studies; Pregnancy; Prevalence; Public; Public health; Registries; registry; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Russia - epidemiology; Statistical analysis; Studies; VDP; Ventricle; ventricular septal defects; Vitamin B
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15071320

Cardiovascular malformations are one of the most common birth defects among newborns and constitute a leading cause of perinatal and infant mortality. Although some risk factors are recognized, the causes of cardiovascular malformations (CVMs) remain largely unknown. In this study, we aim to identify risk factors for ventricular septal defects (VSDs) in Northwest Russia. The study population included singleton births registered in the Murmansk County Birth Registry (MCBR) between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2011. Infants with a diagnosis of VSD in the MCBR and/or in the Murmansk Regional Congenital Defects Registry (up to two years post-delivery) constituted the study sample. Among the 52,253 infants born during the study period there were 744 cases of septal heart defects (SHDs), which corresponds to a prevalence of 14.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) of 13.2⁻15.3] per 1000 infants. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify VSD risk factors. Increased risk of VSDs was observed among infants born to mothers who abused alcohol [OR = 4.83; 95% CI 1.88⁻12.41], or smoked during pregnancy [OR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.02⁻1.80]. Maternal diabetes mellitus was also a significant risk factor [OR = 8.72; 95% CI 3.16⁻24.07], while maternal age, body mass index, folic acid and multivitamin intake were not associated with increased risk. Overall risks of VSDs for male babies were lower [OR = 0.67; 95% CI 0.52⁻0.88].