Study links high lipid levels in early pregnancy with congenital heart disease in children

In a study in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, pregnant women with elevated blood levels of certain lipids—in particular, triglyceride, Apolipoprotein-A1, and Apolipoprotein-B levels—during the first trimester were more than twice as likely to deliver children with congenital heart disease.

The study included 230 women of mothers who had children with congenital heart disease and 381 who had children without heart disease.

The authors noted that their findings re-iterate the importance of maintaining good health during pregnancy. "Also, investigating the link between maternal lipid profile with congenital heart disease risk may aid in developing intervention strategies," said senior author Yong-Hao Gui, MD, MSc, of Children's Hospital of Fudan University, in China.