TY - JOUR T1 - Association of consanguinity with congenital heart diseases in a teaching hospital in Western Iraq JF - Saudi Medical Journal JO - Saudi Med J SP - 1021 LP - 1027 VL - 31 IS - 9 AU - Zaid R. Al-Ani Y1 - 2010/09/01 UR - http://smj.org.sa/content/31/9/1021.abstract N2 - OBJECTIVE: To study the association of consanguinity as a risk factor for congenital heart diseases (CHDs).METHODS: Patients with suggestive signs of CHD admitted to the Al-Ramadi Maternity and Children Hospital, Al-Anbar Governorate, Iraq from January 2009 to January 2010 were subject to diagnostic investigations. Case data includes: name, age, gender, and cause of admission. Parents data includes: age, residence, degree of consanguinity, and history of family recurrent CHDs. Three controls to one case (3:1) were selected to compare their consanguinity with the CHD cases. Odds ratio was used for the measurement of consanguinity and other variable risks on CHD occurrence.RESULTS: The CHD cases were 86. Selected controls were 258 non-CHD cases. The most recorded subtypes were ventricular septal defect (VSD), atrial septal defect (ASD), and tetralogy of fallot (ToF). Consanguinity was found in 78% of cases and 43.3% in controls. First cousin consanguinity comprised 66.2% in cases and 35.6% in controls from all their marriages. Consanguinity was found a significant risk factor, more affecting the VSD and ASD than ToF subtypes, while parental age and infant gender were not found as risk factors.CONCLUSION: Consanguinity proved to be a risk factor for CHD. Further social education of the risks of consanguineous marriages in this tribal population is needed to reduce the prevalence of these morbid and mortal anomalies. ER -