Prevalence of congenital heart disease among children in Aljabal Alkhdhar region, Libya: An Echocardiographic study

Abstract

Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are one of the most frequent malformations at birth. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of congenital heart disease, their different types, and their detection rate among children in Aljabal Alakhdar, Eastern part of Libya. The study was conducted during three-year period (September 2009- October 2012). The prevalence of CHD in Althawra Hospital Albaida was studied. The diagnosis of structural defects was based on echocardiographic study. Age groups from neonates till adolescent were included.In the study period, 342 children were found to have CHD; 299 patients were neonates and infants. Total prevalence of CHD over the study period was 8.9 per 1,000 live-born. The prevalence increased from 8.6 to 9.2 per 1,000 live births between 2009 and 2012. Isolated ventricular septal defect (34 %) was the most frequent non cyanotic anomaly, and Tetralogy of Fallot (3.5 %) was the most frequent cyanotic anomaly.The Prevalence rate of CHD in this region compare to the international standard is almost similar. Increasing incidence of CHD might be attributed to easier diagnosis with more regular and fixed dates of pediatrics cardiac clinic in the hospital in last few years or it may indicate a real increase in the defects, which might need further studies to know the possible causes.