Association of maternal anxiety with congenital heart disease in offspring based on case-control study

Abstract

Objective: To explore the association of maternal anxiety with congenital heart disease (CHD) in offspring. Methods: A case-control study design was used in this study. The data were collected in Shaanxi province from January 2014 to December 2016. Neonatal information is provided through specialized hospitals or institutions. Logistic regression model with adjustment for confounding factors was established to analyze the association between maternal perinatal anxiety and CHD in offspring. Meanwhile, subgroup analysis was carried out to explore its stability. Results: Our study included 2 429 subjects, consisting of 773 cases and 1 656 controls. Women with anxiety during pregnancy accounted for 10.3% in the case group, while 7.8% in the control group. After adjusting for confounding factors, the level of maternal anxiety during pregnancy was positively correlated with CHD in the offspring (OR=1.04, 95%CI: 1.01-1.07). The risk of CHD in the offspring of mothers with anxiety during pregnancy was 1.43 times higher than that in those whose mothers had no anxiety (OR=1.43, 95%CI: 1.00-2.05). Conclusion: Maternal anxiety during pregnancy is probably a risk factor for congenital heart disease in offspring.