Conotruncal heart malformations in Egypt: An epidemiological study

Abstract

Conotruncal malformations of the heart are a major category of birth defects. No previous epidemiological studies on these malformations have been carried out in Egypt; therefore our study aimed to describe associations with maternal and infant factors in order to identify possible risk factors. Cases (N = 255) were children up to two years of age whose heart malformations were confirmed by echocardiography; they were enrolled at the Cardiology Department of the Pediatric Hospital of Cairo University. Controls (N = 155) were free of congenital heart malformations, matched to the cases by age, and recruited from outpatients of the same hospital.