Trends, Clinical Correlates, Mortality Rates, and Follow-Up Events in Children with Ventricular Septal Defect

A bstract Background: Apart from the bicuspid aortic valve, ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common congenital heart defect in children. The defect is not without several associations and correlates. Objectives: To elicit the trends, clinical correlates, mortality rates, and follow-up events in children with VSD. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive study carried out in three health institutions in Nigeria over a five-year period. Echocardiography was performed among 758 children who presented to the outpatient clinics for suspected heart lesions. Results: The prevalence of VSD was 20% (151/758). The profile of their nutritional status showed that 31.0% (47/151) were stunted and wasted. Seven percent, (11/151) were overweight and 2.0% (3/151) were obese. Breathlessness was the most common clinical finding, 55.1% (70/127), while aortic regurgitation 3.3% (5/150) was the most common association. Most deaths were seen in children <1 year of age, 47.0% (9/19). There was a total of 19 deaths – 50% (9.5/19) were pre-operative and 53.0% (10/19) were females. The most common cause of death was heart failure 15.0% (2.9/19). Conclusion: The prevalence and mortality rate of children with VSD were high in the study population. The affected children had varying degrees of malnutrition and other complications. A high index of suspicion, nutritional rehabilitation, and timely referral to curb the rising number of deaths are key to reducing the burden.