patterns of congenital heart diseases in children under five years in Karbala city,Iraq

Abstract

Background: Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are one of the most common congenital problems in children. Presentation can be vary from asymptomatic discovered accidentally to severe complain and death. Early diagnosis and treatment has great effects on prognosis.Aim of study: To assess the frequency of various forms of CHD, patterns of distribution according to age and gender, pattern of presentation and to estimate the effects on growth among affected children under 5 years age in Karbala city, Iraq. Methods: This is a prospective descriptive study on sample of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CHD referred for echocardiography over a period of one year from October 2011 to October 2012. Patients from day one of life till five years were included. Study was conducted in the Pediatric echo-cardiac clinic in Karbala Pediatric Teaching Hospital.Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 10.Results: A total of (110) children were included. There were (42) males (38.2%) and 68 females (61.8%) with a ratio of 1:1.6. Most of the patients in the study have acyanotic CHD and least common with cyanotic CHD; 86(78.2%) and 24 (21.8%) respectively. Ventricular septal defect (VSD) followed by atrial septal defect(ASD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), and pulmonary valve stenosis(PS) were the most common acyanotic congenital heart lesions. While Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) followed by transposition of the great arteries(TGA) were the commonest cyanotic congenital heart lesions. There was a female gender dominance in VSD, ASD, PDA & PS(58.5, 70.3, 62.5 and 69.2 percent respectively. While more male gender had complex CHD.Conclusion:. Majority of patients have non-cyanotic CHD. The commonest non cyanotic CHD is VSD & the commonest cyanotic lesion is TOF , Predominance of female gender in VSD,ASD&PS,while the male gender more dominant in complex CHD.,