Conotruncal heart defects (CTDs) are among the most severe birth defects worldwide. Studies of CTDs indicate both lifestyle behaviors and genetic variation contribute to the risk of CTDs. Based on a hybrid design using data from 616 case-parental and 1645 control-parental triads recruited for the National Birth Defects Prevention Study between 1997 and 2008, we investigated whether the occurren...

BACKGROUND Previous studies have yielded inconsistent results for the effects of periconceptional multivitamins containing folic acid and of folic acid food fortification on congenital heart defects (CHDs). METHODS We carried out a population-based cohort study (N=5 901 701) of all live births and stillbirths (including late-pregnancy terminations) delivered at ≥20 weeks' gestation in Canada ...

OBJECTIVE The splotch (Sp2h) mutation disrupts the Pax3 gene and is lethal in homozygotes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cause of lethality. METHODS AND RESULTS Using the splotch (Sp2H) mouse mutant, we demonstrated that approximately 60% of Sp2H homozygotes die in utero at 13.5-14.5 days of gestation. All these embryos have cardiac malformations involving partial or com...

BACKGROUND Variation within a single gene might produce different congenital heart defects (CHDs) within a family, which could explain the previously reported familial aggregation of discordant CHDs. We investigated whether certain groups of discordant CHDs are more common in families than others. METHODS AND RESULTS Using Danish national population and health registers, we identified CHDs am...

A highly characteristic feature of 22q11DS (22q11 Deletion Syndrome) is congenital heart disease (CHD), which occurs in approximately 75% of all patients.1 Characteristics of congenital cardio vascular defects associated with DG/VCF (DiGeorge/ Velocardiofacial syndrome) are termed tetralogy of Fallot including pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect (VSD) in the severest type, truncus a...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the birth outcomes of cases with four types of conotruncal defects (CTDs), i.e. common truncus, transposition of great arteries, tetralogy of Fallot and double-outlet right ventricle. METHODS Birth outcomes of 597 live-born cases with CTD and 38,151 population controls without any defects were compared in the population-based large dataset of th...