Key result
CHD pregnancies exhibit more frequent fetal vascular malperfusion, regardless of cyanotic status.
Why the study?
Placental abnormalities are frequently observed in congenital heart disease pregnancies, but detailed histopathological evaluations remain limited.
Is moderate-to-severe congenital heart disease associated with increased placental vascular malperfusion compared to normal pregnancies?
Is moderate-to-severe congenital heart disease associated with increased placental vascular malperfusion compared to normal pregnancies?
Moderate-to-severe congenital heart disease is strongly associated with placental fetal vascular malperfusion, suggesting fetal circulatory disturbances regardless of cyanotic status.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May indicate fetal hemodynamic stress in CHD; hypothesis-generating for placental histopathology in future risk models.
Objective: Placental abnormalities are frequently observed in congenital heart disease (CHD) pregnancies, yet detailed histopathological evaluations are limited. This study investigated placental vascular lesions in CHD cases, with comparisons between cyanotic and non-cyanotic subtypes. Methods: Term singleton pregnancies with prenatally diagnosed moderate-to-severe CHD were compared to gestational age-matched controls. Placentas were assessed using standardized histopathological criteria, and CHD cases were stratified based on cyanosis. Results: Among 60 placentas analyzed (40 CHD and 20 control), fetal vascular malperfusion (FVM) was significantly more frequent in the CHD group ( P = .003). Other lesions, including maternal vascular malperfusion and inflammation-related findings, showed no statistically significant differences. In subgroup analysis, no clear differences emerged between cyanotic and non-cyanotic groups. Conclusion: CHD is strongly associated with placental FVM, indicating a possible fetal circulatory disturbance. While histological patterns were similar across CHD subtypes, the presence of FVM may provide important insights for neonatal risk assessment and management.
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Karakus et al. (2026) studied this question. Fetal vascular malperfusion was significantly more frequent in placentas from congenital heart disease pregnancies (P = .003), regardless of cyanotic status.
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