Maternal serum trace elements and vitamins levels of children with congenital heart disease and/or major anomalies

Aim: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most frequent congenital major anomalies. It is encountered frequently besides gastrointestinal, genitourinary and central nervous system anomalies. The etiology of the CHD is not exactly identified. The aim of this study is to investigate the maternal and environmental factors leading to CHD.Material and method: Seventy eight children having diagnosed as CHD and/or major congenital anomaly in our hospital, their mothers, and age matched 69 healthy children, their mothers are included in the study. Syndromic patients are not included within the study. During the study the birth weight, sex, age, heart disease and other systemic major anomalies are investigated. Mother?s age , father?s age, consanguinity, mother?s body mass index, maternal status of education, number of parity, stillbirth history were investigated. Mother?s gain of weight during the pregnancy, iron supplementation, multivitamin usage, father?s history of smoking, diabetes, preeclampsia, presence of hyperemesis were recorded. Mother?s magnesium, zinc, copper, B 12 vitamini, folic acid, A vitamini, E vitamini and homocystein levels of blood were studied.Results: Within the patient group (n=78) 56 patients are diagnosed as having CHD and/or other anomalies. Within the patient group, passive cigarette smoking were statistically significant( %61.8 in patient vs. % 40.6 in controls).Maternal zinc (p=0.006), A vitamini (p=0.0001) and E vitamini (p=0.025) levels of the patient group were found lower and homocystein levels (p=0.008) were higher in comparison with the control group.Conclusions: This study showed that there are maternal preventable factors predisposing CHD and other anomalies.Keywords: Congenital heart disease, etiology, maternal, trace elements, vitamin.