[Obesity during pregnancy is associated to congenital cardiopathies in the newborn].

BACKGROUND

Congenital heart disease (CHD) has a high burden of disease in terms of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years. Maternal obesity (MO) could be a significant risk for developing CHD.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the associated risk of CHD in newborns according to MO.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Retrospective analytical and transversal design of newborns studied by echocardiography, with a 1:1 relationship between newborns with vs. without CHD. Maternal age, maternal body mass index (BMI), gestational age at birth, and birth weight were collected. Bivariate and multivariate analyses using binary logistic regression were conducted to calculate odds ratios (OR) and evaluate the association between maternal nutritional status and CHD in the newborn, adjusting for maternal age.

RESULTS

We analyzed 800 newborns from 785 pregnancies (15 twin pregnancies). The prenatal mother's BMI was 24.38 kg/m2, and 26.7% were obese. Bivariate analysis showed significant differences in sex (female 41% vs. 54%), gestational age (37 vs. 36 weeks), and MO (7% vs. 19.9%). Regression analysis showed that maternal BMI (beta 0.156, IC 95% Exp beta 1.118-1.222, p = 0.0001), obesity (OR 5.23, IC 95% 3.26-8.39, p = 0.0001), and female sex (OR 1.38, IC 95% 0.977-1.966, p = 0.067) have an associated risk of cardiopathy.

CONCLUSIONS

MO is a significant risk factor for CHD in Mexico. It is urgent to take public health measures to control MO, and all newborns of mothers affected by MO must have a screening for congenital heart disease.