RESULTS AND OUTCOME OF ANTENATAL DIAGNOSI S OF CONGENITAL HEART-DISEASE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE COTE DOR OVER A 9-YEAR PERIOD

Antenatal echocardiographic diagnosis of congenital heart disease in 6 99 women living in the department of the Cote d'Or between 1988 and 19 96 revealed 39 cardiac abnormalities which were later confirmed by ana tomical examination or echocardiography. During the same period, 157 c ardiac malformations which could have been detected in the antenatal p eriod were diagnosed after birth. The detection rate of congenital hea rt disease was 19.8 % over the whole study period, and 33.3 % in the l ast three years. The malformations which were most easily diagnosed we re hypoplastic left ventricle, single ventricle, atrioventricular cana l and severe obstruction of the ventricular outflow tracts. Twenty-one abortions (53.8 %) were undertaken because of the severity of the car diac lesion or of a genetic abnormalitiy. Seventeen children were live born (43.5 %) but, globally, they had severe malformations and the mo rtality rate was 84.5 % whereas in the children diagnosed post-partum, the lesions were generally less severe and the mortality was 19.7 %. The detection rate of congenital heart disease depends on the screenin g of first intention. Thus, 90 % of the lesions diagnosed in this seri es were referred because of a foetal heart abnormality and, in this in dication, echographic expertise was by far the most accurate with 33 % of confirmation. As other workers have reported, teaching programmes and regional collaboration between physicians implicated in antenatal care are essential.