Maternal lifestyle factors in pregnancy and congenital heart defects in offspring: review of the current evidence

Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) and forensic investigations: Searching for the cause of death

Congenital Heart Diseases (CHDs) are a group of structural abnormalities or defects of the heart that are present at birth. CHDs could be connected to sudden death (SD), defined by the WHO (World Health Organization) as "death occurring within 24 h after the onset of the symptoms" in an apparently "healthy" subject. These conditions can range from relatively mild defects to severe, life-threatening anomalies. The prevalence of CHDs varies across populations, but they affect millions of individuals worldwide. This article aims to discuss the post-mortem investigation of death related to CHDs, exploring the forensic approach, current methodologies, challenges, and potential advancements in this challenging field. A further goal of this article is to provide a guide for understanding these complex diseases, highlighting the pivotal role of autopsy, histopathology, and genetic investigations in defining the cause of death, and providing evidence about the translational use of autopsy reports. Forensic investigations play a crucial role in understanding the complexities of CHDs and determining the cause of death accurately. Through collaboration between medical professionals and forensic experts, meticulous examinations, and analysis of evidence, valuable insights can be gained. These insights not only provide closure to the families affected but also contribute to the prevention of future tragedies.

Association of Adverse Childhood Experiences with Heart Conditions in Children: Insight from the 2019-2020 National Survey of Children's Health

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been associated with a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and premature mortality in adults.

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated the associations between ACEs and heart diseases among children in the United States.

METHODS

Data on children ages 0 to 17 years reported by parents/guardians to have current heart conditions were analyzed. Using Stata version 17 software, descriptive statistics were generated for the demographic characteristics and the various health outcomes using the chi-square of independence. Multivariate logistic regression models were employed to determine the associations between ACEs and heart conditions, the severity of heart conditions, and overall health status.

RESULTS

There were 826 children with current heart conditions from a total of 68,753 surveyed children. This corresponded to an estimated 780,000 (1.13%) children living with heart conditions in the U.S. On multivariate logistic models, several ACEs, including household economic hardship, parental/guardian's alcohol/drug abuse, severe mental health illness of parents/guardians, racial/ethnic discrimination, exposure to neighborhood violence, and accumulation of two or more ACEs, were significantly associated with heart diseases among children. Though the accumulation of two or more ACEs did not have a significant association with the severity of heart condition, it was significantly associated with caregiver reports of undesirable overall health status.

CONCLUSIONS

ACEs are significantly associated with heart conditions among children and contribute to unfavorable overall health status among children with heart conditions in the U.S. There is a need for policies and programs that will promptly identify ACEs and mitigate their negative impact on children.

Cannabis use in pregnancy and maternal and infant outcomes: A Canadian cross-jurisdictional population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

With the recent legalization of cannabis in Canada, there is an urgent need to understand the effect of cannabis use in pregnancy. Our population-based study investigated the effects of prenatal cannabis use on maternal and newborn outcomes, and modification by infant sex.

METHODS

The cohort included 1,280,447 singleton births from the British Columbia Perinatal Data Registry, the Better Outcomes Registry & Network Ontario, and the Perinatal Program Newfoundland Labrador from April 1st, 2012 to March 31st, 2019. Logistic regression determined the associations between prenatal cannabis use and low birth weight, small-for-gestational age, large-for-gestational age, spontaneous and medically indicated preterm birth, very preterm birth, stillbirth, major congenital anomalies, caesarean section, gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension. Models were adjusted for other substance use, socio-demographic and-economic characteristics, co-morbidities. Interaction terms were included to investigate modification by infant sex.

RESULTS

The prevalence of cannabis use in our cohort was approximately 2%. Prenatal cannabis use is associated with increased risks of spontaneous and medically indicated preterm birth (1.80[1.68-1.93] and 1.94[1.77-2.12], respectively), very preterm birth (1.73[1.48-2.02]), low birth weight (1.90[1.79-2.03]), small-for-gestational age (1.21[1.16-1.27]) and large-for-gestational age (1.06[1.01-1.12]), any major congenital anomaly (1.71[1.49-1.97]), caesarean section (1.13[1.09-1.17]), and gestational diabetes (1.32[1.23-1.42]). No association was found for stillbirth or gestational hypertension. Only small-for-gestational age (p = 0.03) and spontaneous preterm birth (p = 0.04) showed evidence of modification by infant sex.

CONCLUSIONS

Prenatal cannabis use increases the likelihood of preterm birth, low birth weight, small-for-gestational age and major congenital anomalies with prenatally exposed female infants showing evidence of increased susceptibility. Additional measures are needed to inform the public and providers of the inherent risks of cannabis exposure in pregnancy.

An Exploratory Analysis of Maternal Health Variables Increasing the Severity of Congenital Heart Disease in Infants

BACKGROUND

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most prevalent birth anomaly and leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Heart defects are often attributed to chromosomal abnormality or environmental factors, but most causes remain unknown. The purpose of this analysis was to explore maternal health variables and the relationships to birth outcomes in infants with CHD.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of data from the Wisconsin Pediatric Cardiac Registry.

RESULTS

Maternal history of CHDs (odds ratio [OR] = 2.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.42-3.98) and serious health conditions (OR = 1.537; 95%: CI, 1.08-2.17) increase infant risk and CHD severity. Maternal history of hypertension, serious health conditions, CHD, obesity, and income were predictors of birth weight (R² = 0.049, P < .05). Maternal history of hypertension, influenza, serious health conditions, and housing were predictors of gestational age (R2 = 0.045, P < .05). Birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA) did not correlate to the severity of CHD in this study (simple vs complex, BW = -0.014, GA = 0.011, r).

DISCUSSION

Maternal well-being influences the health of infants born with CHD. Positive maternal health contributes to near-normal birth weight and gestational age.

CONCLUSION

Nurses must discuss optimal reproductive life planning strategies for decreasing risk of CHD and other infant disorders.

The implications of exosomes in pregnancy: emerging as new diagnostic markers and therapeutics targets

Extracellular vehicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous group of cell and membranous particles originating from different cell compartments. EVs participate in many essential physiological functions and mediate fetal-maternal communications. Exosomes are the smallest unit of EVs, which are delivered to the extracellular space. Exosomes can be released by the umbilical cord, placenta, amniotic fluid, and amniotic membranes and are involved in angiogenesis, endothelial cell migration, and embryo implantation. Also, various diseases such as gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preterm birth, and fetal growth restriction can be related to the content of placental exosomes during pregnancy. Due to exosomes' ability to transport signaling molecules and their effect on sperm function, they can also play a role in male and female infertility. In the new insight, exosomal miRNA can diagnose and treat infertilities disorders. In this review, we focused on the functions of exosomes during pregnancy.

Metabolomics Signatures and Subsequent Maternal Health among Mothers with a Congenital Heart Defect-Affected Pregnancy

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most prevalent and serious of all birth defects in the United States. However, little is known about the impact of CHD-affected pregnancies on subsequent maternal health. Thus, there is a need to characterize the metabolic alterations associated with CHD-affected pregnancies. Fifty-six plasma samples were identified from post-partum women who participated in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study between 1997 and 2011 and had (1) unaffected control offspring (n = 18), (2) offspring with tetralogy of Fallot (ToF, n = 22), or (3) hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS, n = 16) in this pilot study. Absolute concentrations of 408 metabolites using the AbsoluteIDQ^® p400 HR Kit (Biocrates) were evaluated among case and control mothers. Twenty-six samples were randomly selected from above as technical repeats. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and logistic regression models were used to identify significant metabolites after controlling for the maternal age at delivery and body mass index. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area-under-the-curve (AUC) are reported to evaluate the performance of significant metabolites. Overall, there were nine significant metabolites (p < 0.05) identified in HLHS case mothers and 30 significant metabolites in ToF case mothers. Statistically significant metabolites were further evaluated using ROC curve analyses with PC (34:1), two sphingolipids SM (31:1), SM (42:2), and PC-O (40:4) elevated in HLHS cases; while LPC (18:2), two triglycerides: TG (44:1), TG (46:2), and LPC (20:3) decreased in ToF; and cholesterol esters CE (22:6) were elevated among ToF case mothers. The metabolites identified in the study may have profound structural and functional implications involved in cellular signaling and suggest the need for postpartum dietary supplementation among women who gave birth to CHD offspring.

Maternal sociodemographic characteristics, early pregnancy behaviours, and livebirth outcomes as congenital heart defects risk factors - Northern Ireland 2010-2014

BACKGROUND

Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) is the most commonly occurring congenital anomaly in Europe and a major paediatric health care concern. Investigations are needed to enable identification of CHD risk factors as studies have given conflicting results. This study aim was to identify maternal sociodemographic characteristics, behaviours, and birth outcomes as risk factors for CHD. This was a population based, data linkage cohort study using anonymised data from Northern Ireland (NI) covering the period 2010-2014. The study cohort composed of 94,067 live births with an outcome of 1162 cases of CHD using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)-10 codes and based on the European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies (EUROCAT) grouping system for CHD. CHD cases were obtained from the HeartSuite database (HSD) at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC), maternal data were extracted from the Northern Ireland Maternity System (NIMATS), and medication data were extracted from the Enhanced Prescribing Database (EPD). STATA version 14 was used for the statistical analysis in this study, Odds Ratio (OR), 95% Confident intervals (CI), P value, and logistic regression were used in the analysis. Ethical approval was granted from the National Health Service (NHS) Research Ethics Committee.

RESULT

In this study, a number of potential risk factors were assessed for statistically significant association with CHD, however only certain risk factors demonstrated a statistically significant association with CHD which included: gestational age at first booking (AOR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.04-1.41; P < 0.05), family history of CHD or congenital abnormalities and syndromes (AOR = 4.14; 95% CI = 2.47-6.96; P < 0.05), woman's smoking in pregnancy (AOR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.04-1.43; P < 0.05), preterm birth (AOR = 3.01; 95% CI = 2.44-3.01; P < 0.05), multiple births (AOR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.58-2.60; P < 0.05), history of abortion (AOR = 1.12; 95% CI = 1.03-1.28; P < 0.05), small for gestational age (SGA) (AOR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.22-1.78; P < 0.05), and low birth weight (LBW) (AOR = 3.10; 95% CI = 2.22-3.55; P < 0.05). Prescriptions and redemptions of antidiabetic (AOR = 2.68; 95% CI = 1.85-3.98; P < 0.05), antiepileptic (AOR = 1.77; 95% CI = 1.10-2.81; P < 0.05), and dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors (DHFRI) (AOR = 2.13; 95% CI = 1.17-5.85; P < 0.05) in early pregnancy also showed evidence of statistically significant association with CHD.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggested that there are certain maternal sociodemographic characteristics, behaviours and birth outcomes that are statistically significantly associated with higher risk of CHD. Appropriate prevention policy to target groups with higher risk for CHD may help to reduce CHD prevalence. These results are important for policy makers, obstetricians, cardiologists, paediatricians, midwives and the public.

Risk factors for transposition of the great arteries in Saudi population

Objectives:

To assess potential risk factors and their effect on the development of transposition of the great arteries (TGA).

Methods:

A retrospective case-control study of all patients diagnosed with TGA between 1999 to 2016 at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Age and gender-matched controls were selected. Risk factors, including consanguinity, gestational diabetes, family history of congenital heart disease, parental age, and maternal parity, were collected. Regression modeling was used to analyze the effects of risk factors on the development of TGA.

Results:

A total of 206 patients with transposition of the great arteries were enrolled in the study. Transposition of the great arteries cases were divided into simple and complex TGA. Selected healthy controls were 446. In the studied cases, consanguinity was found in 95 (46%) of cases, gestational diabetes was diagnosed in 36 (17.5%) mothers, and 35 (17%) had a confirmed family history of congenital heart disease. When risk factors of the cases were compared to the controls, consanguinity, gestational diabetes, maternal age, and parity were found to significantly increase the incidence of TGA.

Conclusion:

Our study revealed significant risk factors for the development of transposition of great arteries including first degree consanguineous marriages, gestational diabetes, family history of congenital cardiac anomalies, and increasing maternal age and parity. These factors increased the risk by at least 2 folds.

Assessing reference levels of nickel and chromium in cord blood, maternal blood and placenta specimens from Ankara, Turkey

Objective:

Placenta is a temporary organ that connects the developing fetus and the mother. However, it cannot protect the embryo against chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) exposure. Quantification of Cr and Ni in biological and ecological subjects is challenging. Thus, the first goal of this study was to provide a validated Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS) method to determine Cr and Ni in mother-newborn specimens. The second goal was to assess the reference Ni and Cr contents in cord blood, maternal blood, and placenta samples in a population from Ankara.

Material and Methods:

Biological samples were collected from 100 healthy mother-newborn pairs. Metal levels were quantified by GFAAS. Method validation of this toxicological analysis was performed by the use of certified reference materials, and assessed through accuracy, precision, specificity, range, quantitation, and detection limits.

Results:

Mean Cr levels of maternal blood, placentas, and cord blood were 0.337±0.222 μg/L, 0.221±0.160 μg/kg, 0.121±0.096 μg/L, respectively while mean Ni concentrations were 0.128±0.093 μg/L, 0.124±0.067 μg/kg, 0.099±0.067 μg/L, respectively. The method showed linearity with excellent correlation coefficients (r²) for Cr (0.9994) and Ni (0.9999). Satisfactory recovery and coefficient of variation for Cr and Ni were 102.85% and 102.35%; 1.75% and 2.91%, respectively. Relative error did not exceed 3%, demonstrating the accuracy of the method. Control charts were drawn to assess inter-day stability. The predicted reference ranges for Cr and Ni concentrations in maternal blood, placenta and cord blood were: Cr 0.033-0.75 μg/L; 0.032-0.526 μg/kg; 0.031-0.309 μg/L and for Ni were 0.011-0.308 μg/L; 0.024-0.251 μg/kg; 0.066-0.209 μg/L, respectively.

Conclusion:

The reported reference values of biological specimens in this paper will provide complementary aid to health professionals in terms of assessment of environmental and occupational exposure.

Association between metal cobalt exposure and the risk of congenital heart defect occurrence in offspring: a multi-hospital case-control study

Background

Many studies have investigated heavy metal exposure could increase the occurrence of congenital heart defects (CHDs). However, there are limited data regarding the relationship between cobalt exposure and CHD occurrence in offspring. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between cobalt exposure in mothers and the risk of CHDs in offspring.

Materials and methods

In order to explore the association between cobalt exposure and occurrence of congenital heart defect (CHD), a case-control study with 490 controls and 399 cases with CHDs in China were developed. The concentrations of cobalt in hair of pregnant woman and fetal placental tissue were measured and processed by a logistic regression analysis to explore the relationship between cobalt exposure and risk of CHDs.

Results

The median concentration of hair cobalt in the control and case group was 0.023 ng/mg and 0.033 ng/mg (aOR, 1.837; 95% CI, 1.468–2.299; P < 0.001), respectively. And the median (5–95% range) fetal placental cobalt concentrations were 19.350 ng/g and 42.500 ng/g (aOR, 2.924; 95% CI, 2.211–3.868; P < 0.001) in the control and case groups, respectively. Significant differences in the middle level of cobalt in hair were found in the different CHD subtypes, including septal defects, conotruncal defects, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (P < 0.001). Dramatically, different cobalt concentrations in fetal placental tissue were found in all subtypes of cases with CHDs (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

The finding suggested that the occurrence of CHDs may be associated with cobalt exposure.

Association between prepregnancy body mass index and risk of congenital heart defects in offspring: an ambispective observational study in China

BACKGROUND

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common birth defect around the world. Maternal prepregnancy obesity has been proposed as a risk factor of CHDs, but the relationship of CHD risk with over- and underweight is controversial, especially because body mass index (BMI) distribution differs between Asia and the West. The study aimed to examine the potential associations of maternal over- and underweight on risk of offspring CHDs.

METHODS

An ambispective observational study involving 1206 fetuses with CHDs and 1112 fetuses without defects at seven hospitals in China was conducted. Standardized questionnaires were used to collect information on maternal prepregnancy weight and height, social demographic characteristics, living and occupational environments, and lifestyle behaviors. Univariate, multivariate and multilevel logistic regression as well as unrestricted cubic spline analysis were used to examine potential associations of prepregnancy BMI and offspring CHDs.

RESULTS

Prepregnancy maternal underweight (BMI<18.5) or low average BMI (18.5 ≤ BMI<21.25) was associated with significantly higher risk of CHD in offspring than high average BMI (21.25 ≤ BMI<24.0): multilevel logistic regression indicated adjusted odds ratios of 1.53 (95%CI 1.13, 2.08) for underweight, 1.44 (95%CI 1.10, 1.89) for low average BMI and 1.29 (95%CI 0.84, 1.97) for overweight or obesity (BMI ≥ 24.0). Mothers with prepregnancy BMI < 21.25 were at greater risk of offspring with septal defects, while mothers with low average BMI were at greater risk of offspring with conotruncal defects and septal defects.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that underweight or low average BMI may be associated with higher risk of CHDs in offspring. Health professionals may wish to advise women planning to be pregnant to maintain or even gain weight to ensure adequate, balanced nutrition and thereby reduce the risk of CHDs in their offspring.

Articular damages in multi-generational female offspring due to prenatal caffeine exposure correlates with H3K9 deacetylation of TGFβ signaling pathway

Adverse environment during pregnancy could lead to maternal glucocorticoid overexposure in utero, and then induce the intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and the programmed change in cartilage development. The transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the process of chondrogenesis, cartilage growth, development, maturation, and phenotype maintenance. Our previous results had shown that prenatal caffeine exposure (PCE) could result in the damaged articular cartilage in offspring rats. However, whether this change could transmit to multiple generations was still unknown. In this study, pregnant Wistar rats received either saline or caffeine (120 mg/kg, i.g.) once daily from gestational day 9-20 (GD9-20). The female offspring mated with normal male rats to generate the following generations. We obtained the articular cartilages in subsequent F1 to F3 female offspring. The H3K9 acetylation and expression of the TGFβ signaling pathway were detected; the content of the cartilage matrix was detected. The results showed that PCE reduced the H3K9 acetylation and the expression of the TGFβ signaling pathway, then reduced the extracellular matrix in F1, F2, and F3 generations. in vitro, corticosterone could induce the H3K9 deacetylation of the TGFβ signaling pathway, thus inhibiting the expression of the TGFβ signaling pathway and extracellular matrix. The overall results revealed that PCE induced a multi-generational damaged articular cartilage in female offspring rats, which was partially related to the maternal high glucocorticoid-induced H3K9 hypoacetylation of TGFβ signaling pathway.

Maternal Overweight and Obesity and Risk of Congenital Heart Defects

BACKGROUND

Congenital heart defects are more frequent in offspring of mothers with overweight or obesity. However, associations between maternal overweight and obesity, and risks of complex and specific heart defects are not clear.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to analyze associations between maternal overweight and obesity severity and rates of complex and specific heart defects.

METHODS

This was a population-based cohort study in Sweden, including 2,050,491 live singleton infants born between 1992 and 2012. Data on maternal and infant characteristics, and diagnoses of congenital heart defects were retrieved from nationwide registries. Maternal body mass index (BMI) was categorized as underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m²), normal weight (BMI 18.5 to <25 kg/m²), overweight (BMI 25 to <30 kg/m²), obesity class I (BMI 30 to <35 kg/m²), class II (BMI 35 to <40 kg/m²), and class III (BMI ≥40 kg/m²). Outcomes included complex heart defects (tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, atrial septal defects [ASD], aortic arch defects, and single-ventricle heart) and subgroups of specific heart defects diagnosed up to 5 years of age. The authors calculated adjusted prevalence rate ratios (PRRs) with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

A total of 28,628 (1.40%, N = 2,050,491) children had at least 1 congenital heart defect. PRRs of aortic arch defects increased with maternal obesity severity. Compared with offspring of normal weight mothers, PRRs of aortic arch defects and transposition of the great arteries were doubled in offspring of mothers with severe obesity. PRRs of ASD and persistent ductus arteriosus in term infants increased with maternal BMI.

CONCLUSIONS

PRRs of aortic branch defects, ASD, and persistent ductus arteriosus increase with maternal obesity severity.

Metal nickel exposure increase the risk of congenital heart defects occurrence in offspring: A case-control study in China

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have investigated heavy metal exposure could increase the occurrence of congenital heart defects (CHDs). However, there are limited data regarding the relationship between exposure to nickel and CHDs occurrence in offspring. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between nickel exposure in mothers and the risk of CHDs in offspring.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To explore the association of nickel exposure and occurrence of CHD, a case-control study with 490 controls and 399 cases with CHDs in China were developed. The concentrations of nickel in hair of pregnant woman and fetal placental tissue were measured and used a logistic regression analysis to explore the relationship between nickel exposure and risk of CHD.

RESULTS

The median concentrations of nickel were 0.629 ng/mg, P < .05 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.326; 95% CI, 1.003-1.757) and 0.178 ng/mg, P < .05 (aOR, 2.204; 95% CI, 0.783-6.206), in maternal hair and in fetal placental tissue in the CHD group, respectively. Significant differences in the level of nickel in hair were also found in the different CHD subtypes including septal defects (P < .05), conotruncal defects (P < .05), right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (P < .01), and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (P < .05). Dramatically different nickel concentrations in fetal placenta tissue were found in cases with other heart defects (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The finding suggested that the occurrence of CHDs may be associated with nickel exposure.

Silencing of maternal hepatic glucocorticoid receptor is essential for normal fetal development in mice

Excessive or chronic stress can lead to a variety of diseases due to aberrant activation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a ligand activated transcription factor. Pregnancy represents a particular window of sensitivity in which excessive stress can have adverse outcomes, particularly on the developing fetus. Here we show maternal hepatic stress hormone responsiveness is diminished via epigenetic silencing of the glucocorticoid receptor during pregnancy. Provocatively, reinstallation of GR to hepatocytes during pregnancy by adeno-associated viral transduction dysregulates genes involved in proliferation, resulting in impaired pregnancy-induced hepatomegaly. Disruption of the maternal hepatic adaptation to pregnancy results in in utero growth restriction (IUGR). These data demonstrate pregnancy antagonizes the liver-specific effects of stress hormone signaling in the maternal compartment to ultimately support the healthy development of embryos.

A Matched Case-Control Study on the Association Between Colds, Depressive Symptoms during Pregnancy and Congenital Heart Disease in Northwestern China

The purpose of this study was to explore the association between colds, depressive symptoms during pregnancy and offspring congenital heart disease (CHD). A 1:2 matching case-control study was conducted in Northwest China. Information was gathered by a structured questionnaire and was reviewed by investigators on the spot. Multivariate logistic regressions and nonlinear mixed effect model were performed. 614 cases and 1228 controls were available in this study. After adjusting for potential confounders, the colds during the entire pregnancy were associated with increased risk of offspring CHD (OR = 1.44(1.12-1.85)). Similarly, there was a higher depression score in CHD group than the control group (OR = 1.89(1.48-2.41)). In addition, the women with both colds and higher depression scores had a higher risk of offspring CHD (OR = 2.72(1.87-3.93)) than their counterparts with only colds (OR = 1.48(1.04-2.09)) or with only higher depression scores (OR = 1.94(1.37-2.74)). The combined effects were significant in the multiplication model (OR = 2.04(1.47-2.83)) but not in the additive model (S = 1.40(0.70-2.81), AP = 0.19(-0.15-0.53) and RERI = 0.55(-0.54-1.64)). In conclusion, the colds and depressive symptoms during pregnancy were found associated with increased risk of offspring CHD and we found for the first time that there existed a statistically multiplying interaction effect of colds and depression on increasing risk of offspring CHD.

Gestational Hypoxia and Developmental Plasticity

Hypoxia is one of the most common and severe challenges to the maintenance of homeostasis. Oxygen sensing is a property of all tissues, and the response to hypoxia is multidimensional involving complicated intracellular networks concerned with the transduction of hypoxia-induced responses. Of all the stresses to which the fetus and newborn infant are subjected, perhaps the most important and clinically relevant is that of hypoxia. Hypoxia during gestation impacts both the mother and fetal development through interactions with an individual's genetic traits acquired over multiple generations by natural selection and changes in gene expression patterns by altering the epigenetic code. Changes in the epigenome determine "genomic plasticity," i.e., the ability of genes to be differentially expressed according to environmental cues. The genomic plasticity defined by epigenomic mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs during development is the mechanistic substrate for phenotypic programming that determines physiological response and risk for healthy or deleterious outcomes. This review explores the impact of gestational hypoxia on maternal health and fetal development, and epigenetic mechanisms of developmental plasticity with emphasis on the uteroplacental circulation, heart development, cerebral circulation, pulmonary development, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and adipose tissue. The complex molecular and epigenetic interactions that may impact an individual's physiology and developmental programming of health and disease later in life are discussed.

Risk Factors for Ventricular Septal Defects in Murmansk County, Russia: A Registry-Based Study

Cardiovascular malformations are one of the most common birth defects among newborns and constitute a leading cause of perinatal and infant mortality. Although some risk factors are recognized, the causes of cardiovascular malformations (CVMs) remain largely unknown. In this study, we aim to identify risk factors for ventricular septal defects (VSDs) in Northwest Russia. The study population included singleton births registered in the Murmansk County Birth Registry (MCBR) between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2011. Infants with a diagnosis of VSD in the MCBR and/or in the Murmansk Regional Congenital Defects Registry (up to two years post-delivery) constituted the study sample. Among the 52,253 infants born during the study period there were 744 cases of septal heart defects (SHDs), which corresponds to a prevalence of 14.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) of 13.2–15.3] per 1000 infants. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify VSD risk factors. Increased risk of VSDs was observed among infants born to mothers who abused alcohol [OR = 4.83; 95% CI 1.88–12.41], or smoked during pregnancy [OR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.02–1.80]. Maternal diabetes mellitus was also a significant risk factor [OR = 8.72; 95% CI 3.16–24.07], while maternal age, body mass index, folic acid and multivitamin intake were not associated with increased risk. Overall risks of VSDs for male babies were lower [OR = 0.67; 95% CI 0.52–0.88].

Socio-demographic and preconception risk factors in parents of children suffering from congenital cardiopathy

OBJECTIVE

To identify the preconception risk factors in parents of children suffering from congenital cardiopathy.

METHOD

A cross-sectional descriptive study, which included parents of children suffering from cardiopathy, attended at consultations in a not-for-profit organization, in order to be diagnosed and referred for heart surgery or to be assessed in postoperative cardiac monitoring. The sample population included 500 people who responded to a survey for the identification of socio-demographic and preconception risk factors.

RESULTS

Couples were found with up to 3 cardiac children. Parents with 2 or more children suffering from cardiopathy were classified in the majority as belonging to the middle socioeconomic level and not owning their own house. An association with the number of children with cardiopathy, the educational level of their parents (P=.013), their home area (P=.041) and type of accommodation (P=.045) was found. Regarding the preconception risk factors, there was evidence of statistically significant associations among the number of children with cardiopathy and their exposure to fertilizers (P=.024), their exposure to fuels (P=.025), the use of antihypertensive medication (P=.37), and alcohol consumption (P=.042) and cocaine use (P=.039) by their parents.

CONCLUSIONS

The population of parents with a greater number of children suffering from cardiopathy were characterized as having socioeconomic and educational constraints. The preconception risk factors which show an association with the number of children suffering from cardiopathy were characterized as physical and/or chemical environmental risk factors and the consumption of certain psychoactive substances and medication by their parents. It is necessary to analyze each risk factor separately, taking into account the different types of cardiopathy.

Cigarette Smoking Impairs Adipose Stromal Cell Vasculogenic Activity and Abrogates Potency to Ameliorate Ischemia

Cigarette smoking (CS) adversely affects the physiologic function of endothelial progenitor, hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. However, the effect of CS on the ability of adipose stem/stromal cells (ASC) to promote vasculogenesis and rescue perfusion in the context of ischemia is unknown. To evaluate this, ASC from nonsmokers (nCS-ASC) and smokers (CS-ASC), and their activity to promote perfusion in hindlimb ischemia models, as well as endothelial cell (EC) survival and vascular morphogenesis in vitro were assessed. While nCS-ASC improved perfusion in ischemic limbs, CS-ASC completely lost this therapeutic effect. In vitro vasculogenesis assays revealed that human CS-ASC and ASC from CS-exposed mice showed compromised support of EC morphogenesis into vascular tubes, and the CS-ASC secretome was less potent in supporting EC survival/proliferation. Comparative secretome analysis revealed that CS-ASC produced lower amounts of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and stromal cell-derived growth factor 1 (SDF-1). Conversely, CS-ASC secreted the angiostatic/pro-inflammatory factor Activin A, which was not detected in nCS-ASC conditioned media (CM). Furthermore, higher Activin A levels were measured in EC/CS-ASC cocultures than in EC/nCS-ASC cocultures. CS-ASC also responded to inflammatory cytokines with 5.2-fold increase in Activin A secretion, whereas nCS-ASC showed minimal Activin A induction. Supplementation of EC/CS-ASC cocultures with nCS-ASC CM or with recombinant vascular endothelial growth factor, HGF, or SDF-1 did not rescue vasculogenesis, whereas inhibition of Activin A expression or activity improved network formation up to the level found in EC/nCS-ASC cocultures. In conclusion, ASC of CS individuals manifest compromised in vitro vasculogenic activity as well as in vivo therapeutic activity. Stem Cells 2018;36:856-867.

Clinical significance of circulating microRNAs as markers in detecting and predicting congenital heart defects in children

BACKGROUND

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as novel biomarkers for detecting cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the usefulness of miRNAs as biomarkers in diagnosing and predicting children with congenital heart defects (CHD), particularly in the context of multiple subtypes of CHD.

METHODS

We recruited 26 families, each having a child with CHD and parents who do not have any cardiovascular disorder. 27 families unaffected by cardiovascular disease were also included as controls. Firstly, we screened 84 circulating miRNAs relating to cardiovascular development in 6 children with atrial septal defects (ASD) and 5 healthy children. We validated the selected miRNAs with differential expression in a larger sample size (n = 27 for controls, n = 26 for cases), and evaluated their signal in different types of septal defects. Finally, we examined the identified miRNAs signatures in the parent population and assessed their diagnostic values for predicting CHD.

RESULTS

The three miRNAs hsa-let-7a, hsa-let-7b and hsa-miR-486 were significantly upregulated in children with ASD. A further validation study showed that overexpression of hsa-let-7a and hsa-let-7b was specifically present in ASD children, but not in children with other subtypes of septal defects. A similar expression profile of hsa-let-7a and hsa-let-7b was discovered in mothers of ASD children. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses indicated that hsa-let-7a and hsa-let-7b had significant diagnostic values for detecting ASD and in maternal samples predicting the occurrence of ASD in offspring.

CONCLUSIONS

Circulating miRNAs are important markers not only for diagnosing CHD, but also for predicting CHD risk in offspring. The distinct miRNA signatures are likely to present in various subtypes of CHD, and the phenotypic heterogeneity of CHD should be considered to develop such miRNA-based assays.

Association between maternal body mass index and congenital heart defects in infants: A meta-analysis

We conducted this meta-analysis to address the open question of a possible association between maternal body mass index (BMI) and congenital heart defects (CHDs) in infants. We conducted a comprehensive computerized search of PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, and Embase databased (January 1980 through August 2017). We assessed the association between maternal BMI and the risk for congenital heart defects in their offspring. Study-specific relative risk estimates were polled according to random-effect or fixed-effect models. From 2567 citations, a total of 13 case-control studies and 4 cohort studies were selected for a meta-analysis, including more than 1 150 000 cases. The pooled odds radio (OR) of 1.065 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.021-1.100; P = .001; I² = 60.1%) indicated a positive effect of maternal overweight status (BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m² ) on the risk for congenital heart defects in infants. Moreover, we observed a significant association between maternal obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² ) and congenital heart defects in their offspring (OR: 1.174; 95% CI, 1.146-1.203, P = 0.161; I² =25.5%). However, there was little significant evidence of an association between maternal underweight status (BMI < 18.5 kg/m² ) and offspring with congenital heart defects, and the pooled OR was 1.015 (95% CI, 0.980-1.052; P = 0.085; I² =34.0%). Our meta-analysis provides robust evidence of the positive association between maternal BMI and the risk for fetal congenital heart defects.

Role of Risk of Bias in Systematic Review for Chemical Risk Assessment: A Case Study in Understanding the Relationship Between Congenital Heart Defects and Exposures to Trichloroethylene

The National Academy of Science has recommended that a risk of bias (RoB; credibility of the link between exposure and outcome) assessment be conducted on studies that are used as primary data sources for hazard identification and dose-response assessment. Few applications of such have been conducted. Using trichloroethylene and congenital heart defects (CHDs) as a case study, we explore the role of RoB in chemical risk assessment using the National Toxicology Program's Office of Health Assessment and Translation RoB tool. Selected questions were tailored to evaluation of CHD and then applied to 12 experimental animal studies and 9 epidemiological studies. Results demonstrated that the inconsistent findings of a single animal study were likely explained by the limitations in study design assessed via RoB (eg, lack of concurrent controls, unvalidated method for assessing outcome, unreliable statistical methods, etc). Such limitations considered in the context of the body of evidence render the study not sufficiently reliable for the development of toxicity reference values. The case study highlights the utility of RoB as part of a robust risk assessment process and specifically demonstrates the role RoB can play in objectively selecting candidate data sets to develop toxicity values.

Methylxanthines induce structural and functional alterations of the cardiac system in zebrafish embryos

Background

Zebrafish embryos are emerging as a model for pharmacological and toxicological studies. We used zebrafish embryos to study the general toxicity and cardiovascular effects of eight methylxanthines: aminophylline, caffeine, diprophylline, doxofylline, etophylline, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), pentoxifylline and theophylline.

Methods

Microinjections of the eight methylxanthines were performed in 1-2 cell stage zebrafish embryos and the general toxicity and cardiovascular effects were analyzed at different time points. Embryotoxicity and teratogenicity were evaluated to understand the general toxicity of these compounds. Structural and functional alterations of the heart were evaluated to assess the cardiovascular effects.

Results

Our results showed different activity patterns of the methylxanthines drugs. Caffeine, IBMX, pentoxifylline and theophylline were highly embryotoxic and teratogenic; aminophylline, doxofylline and etophylline were embryotoxic and teratogenic only at higher doses, and diprophylline showed a minimal (<10%) embryotoxicity and teratogenicity. Most of these drugs induced structural alteration of the heart in 20-40% of the injected embryos with the maximum dose. This structural alteration was fatal with the embryos ultimately dying within 120 hpf. All the drugs induced a transient increase in heart rate at 48 hpf which returned to baseline within 96 hpf. This functional effect of methylxanthines showed similarity to the studies done in humans and other vertebrates.

Conclusion

Our results indicate the potential toxicity and teratogenicity of different methylxanthines in the embryos during embryonic development, the most sensitive period of life. Although interspecies differences need to be considered before drawing any conclusion, our study elucidated that a single exposure of methylxanthines at therapeutic range could induce cardiac dysfunction besides causing embryotoxicity and teratogenicity. Of all the drugs, diprophylline appeared to be safer, with lower degree of embryotoxicity, teratogenicity and cardiac toxicity as compared to other methylxanthines.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40360-017-0179-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Barium exposure increases the risk of congenital heart defects occurrence in offspring

CONTEXT

Several studies have investigated the association between heavy metal exposure and congenital heart defects (CHDs). However, there are limited data regarding the relationship between barium exposure and the occurrence of CHDs. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between barium exposure in mothers and the risk of CHD in offspring.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We developed a case-control study with 399 cases and 490 controls with normal live births in China. The concentrations of barium in hair of pregnant woman and fetal placenta were measured. We used a logistic regression analysis to explore the association between barium exposure and the risk of CHD.

RESULTS

Logistic regression analysis indicated that the median concentration of barium in maternal hair in the CHD group was 4.180 ng/mg (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.230; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.146-1.321; p < .001), which was significantly higher than that in the control group (2.740 ng/mg). Furthermore, the median concentration of barium in fetal placental tissue in the CHD group was 0.617 ng/mg, while that in the control group was 0.447 ng/mg (aOR, 1.392; 95% CI, 1.074-1.659; p = .003). Significant differences in the concentration of barium in hair were also found between the different CHD subtypes and the controls. These differences were found in cases with septal defects (p < .001), conotruncal defects (p < .001), right ventricular outflow track obstruction (p < .001), left ventricular outflow track obstruction (p < .001), and anomalous pulmonary venous return (p = .010). Significantly different barium concentrations in fetal tissue were only found in cases with septal defects (p = .010).

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal barium exposure was dose-dependently related to the risk of CHD in the offspring. Our findings suggest that the occurrence of some subtypes of CHD is associated with barium exposure.