FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic hypertension during pregnancy and prepregnancy diabetes are independently associated with an increased risk for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) in offspring, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2026, held from Nov. 6 to 9 in Chicago.
Saad Ur Rahman, M.D., from Beth Israel Lahey Health in Burlington, Massachusetts, and colleagues used U.S. natality files from 2018 to 2024 to examine temporal trends in maternal hypertensive disorders and their association with the risk for CCHD.
The researchers found that among more than 40 million live births, 27,764 infants were diagnosed with CCHD (overall prevalence, 6.3 per 10,000 births). There was an increase in CCHD prevalence from 5.8 per 10,000 births in 2018 to 6.4 per 10,000 births in 2023 to 2024. During the same time period, the prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy rose from 9.4 to 13.9 percent, driven primarily by chronic hypertension. Chronic hypertension was associated with higher odds of CCHD in fully adjusted models (odds ratio, 1.30; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.14 to 1.48). Gestational hypertension showed a modest, borderline association with CCHD (odds ratio, 1.08; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.99 to 1.18), while eclampsia was rare and not significantly associated with CCHD. Chronic hypertension increased the predicted absolute CCHD risk from 6.3 per 10,000 births, among those without hypertension, to 8.2 per 10,000 births. There was also a strong association between prepregnancy diabetes and CCHD (odds ratio, 1.48; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.33 to 1.64). Overall, approximately 1.5 percent of CCHD cases were attributable to either maternal chronic or gestational hypertension.
"These results emphasize the importance of monitoring blood pressure, discussing heart health with clinicians, and receiving appropriate care before and during pregnancy to reduce the risk of fetal heart defects," Ur Rahman said in a statement.
