Study Ties Environmental Toxins to Heart Defects

A latest study finds a strong correlation between heart defects in children and exposure of environmental toxins in mothers.

The study, presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Session 2013, reveals that children's congenital heart defects may be linked to the mother's exposure of specific industrial pollutants during pregnancy.

For the study, researchers analyzed patterns of congenital heart defects occurrence and presence of the industrial pollutant in Alberta, Canada. Through this ongoing research, the experts plan on determining whether the proximity of pregnant women to organic compounds and metals that are emitted in the air has an impact on the children and the risk of heart defects.

Congenital heart disease is a defect that is present at birth. This defect occurs when the heart or blood vessel near the heart fail to develop normally. The disorder causes the blood to flow through an abnormal pattern through the heart. Over 9 in 1000 people are born with congenital heart defects. Babies with CHD have poor circulation and shallow breathing.

"Although still in the early stage, this research suggests some chemical emissions - particularly, industrial air emissions - may be linked to heart abnormalities that develop while the heart is forming in the womb," lead researcher Deliwe P. Ngwezi, M.D., a Ph.D., student and research fellow in pediatric cardiology at the University of Alberta in Canada, said in a statement.

The researchers worked on the data of congenital heart defects that were diagnosed from 2004-2011 and also chemical emissions that were recorded by a Canadian agency that tracks pollutants.

Out of three groups, just one group had a strong link with rates of congenital heart defects. The group of chemicals is a mixture of few organic compounds and metals such as benzene, butadiene, carbon disulphide, chloroform, ethylene oxide, hexachlorobenzene, tetrachloroethane, methanol, sulphur dioxide, toluene, lead, mercury and cadmium.

Since 2006, there has been a drop in the rate of congenital heart defects. This was due to the government efforts to lower industrial air emission. The decrease of heart defects was mainly linked with heart defects that were due to holes that were in middle of the upper and lower heart chambers and malformations of the cardiac outflow tracts.

Ngwezi concluded saying, "For now, consumers and healthcare providers should be educated about the potential toll of pollutants on the developing heart. As we have observed in the preliminary results, when the emissions decrease, the rates of congenital heart defects also decrease."