Increased incidence of congenital heart disease among patients with myelomeningocele and associated increased mortality and length of stay; a database study

Abstract

Purpose: Myelomeningocele and congenital heart disease (CHD) are independent risk factors for increased morbidity and mortality in the newborn period and each can require significant operations shortly after birth. Few studies have examined the impact of these combined lesions. We sought to examine the incidence of CHD in patients with myelomeningocele, and to evaluate length of stay (LOS), hospital charges, and mortality. Methods Using the Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File, entries of ∼6.9 million newborns born between January 1999 and …