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Birth defects occur in about 3% of all live births and most commonly involve cardiac structures. Maternal imbalances in angiogenic proteins have been implicated in the development of congenital heart defects as well as being associated with excess risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. In a population-based study of almost 2 million deliveries in Quebec, Canada, between 1989 and 2012, investigators reviewed infant discharge records and procedural codes to determine whether the risk for carrying a fetus with congenital heart defects was elevated among women with preeclampsia.
The prevalence of any heart defect was 16.7 per 1000 infants born to mothers with preeclampsia versus 8.6 per 1000 infants born to mothers without preeclampsia. T…