Epidemiology of Congenital Heart Disease in Qatar: Preliminary findings from the Sidra Medicine Cardiac Registry

Background Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common congenital anomalies in newborns. The birth prevalence of CHD across the world is variable, reflecting differences in diagnostic capabilities as well as environmental and/or genetic risk factors between regions. Here, we aim to determine the epidemiology of CHD in Qatar in terms of the magnitude, subtypes, associated risk factors and complications. Methods and results Data for 76 subjects with CHD were extracted from the Sidra cardiac registry database in October 2022. Extracted information for each subject included on age, nationality, gender, CHD diagnosis, outcomes of CHD, and comorbidities. Maternal history for some of the risk factors were also obtained from the registry. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-Square tests and Fisher’s Exact tests. Most of the subjects were from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region (52.6%), followed by Southeast Asian (30.3%) and Qatari (14.5%). The three most common CHD types were ventricular septal defect (VSD), Atrial septal defect (ASD), and Transposition of the great arteries (TGA). About 32% subjects were born by parents who are first-degree cousins. This association was statistically significant (P<0.05). About 6.9% subjects in this cohort were born to mothers who had Pre-Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. Conclusion The most common CHD type in this study was VSD followed by ASD. The rate of parental consanguinity was generally high among patients with CHDs. The pattern of non-genetic risk factors, comorbidities, and outcomes in patients with CHD was similar to those previously reported in other studies. Clinical perspective Congenital heart diseases and other birth defects are largely understudied in Qatar. This study provides epidemiological characteristics of patients with congenital heart diseases in Qatar. A significant number of subjects in this study had multiple CHD lesions. This study highlights the association between parental consanguinity and the increased incidence of congenital heart diseases in Qatar, a country with a high rate of parental consanguinity. Majority of the subjects in this study underwent surgical intervention, perhaps reflecting the complexity of the CHD lesions.