Maternal Anemia During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Congenital Heart Defects in Newborns

Recent research highlights a significant link between anemia in early pregnancy and the likelihood of developing congenital heart defects in newborns. The study, published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, analyzed the health records of 2,776 women with children diagnosed with congenital heart disease, comparing them to 13,880 women whose children had normal heart development. Results showed that 4.4% of children with heart defects and 2.8% of those without had maternal anemia during pregnancy. After adjusting for other factors, the data indicated that anemic mothers had a 47% higher chance of giving birth to a child with a heart defect. Experts believe that this finding emphasizes the importance of monitoring and managing anemia in pregnant women, especially iron deficiency anemia, which is a common cause of maternal anemia. Addressing iron deficiency through supplementation before and during pregnancy could be a critical strategy in reducing the incidence of congenital heart conditions. These insights suggest that improving maternal nutritional health may prevent many congenital heart defects before they develop, potentially transforming prenatal care practices worldwide.