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Maternal periconceptional alcohol consumption and congenital heart defects
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Maternal periconceptional alcohol consumption and congenital heart defects

Yong Zhu, Paul A Romitti, Kristin M Caspers Conway, Dereck H Shen, Lixian Sun, Marilyn L Browne, Lorenzo D Botto, Angela E Lin, Charlotte M Druschel and National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Birth defects research. A Clinical and molecular teratology, Vol.103(7), pp.617-629
07/2015
DOI: 10.1002/bdra.23352
PMCID: PMC7668305
PMID: 26118863
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/7668305View
Open Access

Abstract

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the leading cause of infant death from birth defects. Animal studies suggest in utero alcohol exposure is a teratogen for cardiogenesis; however, results from epidemiologic studies are mixed. Data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study were used to estimate associations between CHDs and case (n = 7076) and control (n = 7972) mother reports of periconceptional (1 month before pregnancy through the first trimester) alcohol consumption with expected delivery dates during 1997 to 2007. CHDs were examined by category (conotruncal, septal, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, heterotaxy with CHD) and subtype (e.g., tetralogy of Fallot [TOF]). Alcohol measures examined were any consumption, maximum average drinks per month, binge drinking, and alcohol type. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using unconditional logistic regression analysis. Increased risks, albeit marginally statistically significant, were observed for TOF and each maternal alcohol measure examined and for right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and heterotaxy with CHD and consumption of distilled spirits. Significantly reduced risks were observed for several CHD categories (septal defects, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and right ventricular outflow tract obstruction) and some corresponding subtypes with different alcohol measures. Significant risks were not observed for the other CHDs examined. Analysis of this large, well-defined study sample did not show statistically significant increased risks between measures of maternal alcohol consumption and most CHDs examined. These findings may reflect, in part, limitations with retrospective exposure assessment or unmeasured confounders. Additional studies with continued improvement in measurement of alcohol consumption are recommended.
Young Adult Heart Defects, Congenital United States Humans Middle Aged Risk Factors Adult Female Male Alcohol Drinking Maternal Exposure Case-Control Studies

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