Project Title

Maternal medication use in pregnancy and cardiac abnormalities in the offspring

Background

Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) represent one-third of all major congenital. Despite much research, the causes of many CHDs are still unknown. Up to 30% of CHDs are linked to modifiable risk factors, including maternal medication use during pregnancy.

Aim

Our aim is to:

1. Identify critical periods during pregnancy when medication use might be most harmful to the baby's heart development.

2. Examine how different medications interact with each other when taken together.

3. Evaluate how the duration of drug use impacts the newborn heart.

Methods

We will use data from the Copenhagen Baby Heart Study and the Danish national health registers, and apply a machine learning algorithm developed by Statens Serum Institut to identify maternal medication use patterns. The algorithm looks at when the timing medication use, the dosage, and the types of medicine. Statistical analyses will be performed to evaluate the associations between these medications use patterns and the incidence of CHDs.

Preliminary results:

Preliminary data from the Danish national health registers suggest that the use of maternal medication during pregnancy has been increasing in recent years.