Congenital heart disease in children with down syndrome in Duhok city

Objective: to find out the most common types of congenital heart defects among down syndrome children in duhok/kurdistan and the effects of parental consanguinity on the pattern of congenital heart defects. background: down syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality due to a trisomy of chromosome number 21,commonly associated with congenital heart defects. methods: a study was done in heevi pediatric teaching hospital and early detection childhood disability center in duhok city,from the period of january 2010 to january 2011 results: congenital heart defects were detected in 44/80 (55%) children. ventricular septal defect was the most common 18/44,followed by atrioventricular septal defect 12/44,atrial septal sefect 7/44,tetralogy of fallot 4/44,patent ductus arteriosus,hypetrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy 2/44. consanguinity was found in 22 (27%) of all parents conclusion: slightly higher frequency of congenital heart defects was documented in down syndrome children from the population of duhok city with a high consanguineous marriage rate. the frequencies of specific lesions were differing to those reported internationally; ventricular septal defect was the most frequently detected in this study.