Prematurity, Low Birth Weight, and Cardiovascular Malformations

Abstract

Over the past 20 years the survival rate of infants with cardiovascular anomalies has improved dramatically. Repair of complex critical malformations such as transposition of the great arteries, tetralogy of Fallot, complete atrioventricular septal defect, and coarctation of the aorta is now undertaken with a surgical mortality rate that approaches zero in otherwise normal term infants. The improvement in outcome has focused attention on malformations that remain more of a challenge (such as hypoplastic left heart, other single-ventricle malformations, and pulmonary atresia) or on infants whose other problems (such as prematurity, low birth weight, and coexisting noncardiac malformations) put them at higher risk. A recent study from Costello et al1 and a study by Archer et al,2 reported on in this issue of Pediatrics , draw attention to some of these risk factors. Archer et al2 report the details of almost 100 000 very low birth … Address correspondence to Christopher Wren, MBChB, PhD, Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE7 7DN, United Kingdom. E-mail: christopher.wren{at}nuth.nhs.uk