Prenatal Detection Rates of Congenital Heart Disease Increasing Over Time

FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Prenatal detection rates of congenital heart disease (CHD) have increased over time, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

Emily R. Ribeiro, M.D., from the University of Florida in Gainesville, and colleagues examined prenatal detection rates of CHD before and after the introduction of outflow tract views in obstetric screening ultrasound examinations. Patients aged younger than 183 days old undergoing index procedures were identified in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database between Jan. 1, 2006, and June 30, 2023.

A total of 108,512 patients at 123 U.S. centers were included in the study. The researchers found that during the study, there was a continuous increase in prenatal detection rates of CHD. Variation in prenatal detection rates was seen by region (43.6 to 56.2 percent) and lesion type (13.1 to 77.1 percent). Compared with lesions routinely detected on a four-chamber view, prenatal detection rates increased for lesions not routinely detected on a four-chamber view but visible on outflow tract views.

“Despite overall progress, detection rates still vary significantly by region and type of defect,” lead author Jeffrey Jacobs, M.D., also from the University of Florida, said in a statement. “These differences reflect persistent disparities in prenatal CHD diagnosis across the U.S.”

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