Posters
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Medical Student
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Medical Student
Academic Level (Author 2)
Medical Student
Academic Level (Author 3)
Medical Student
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Faculty
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Medical Education
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Community/Public Health
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Research/Clinical
Abstract
Congenital heart defects are a known risk factor for early childhood mortality and can be traced to poor maternal health, a crisis plaguing the South Texas region. This perspective research project utilizes previously computed data on the prevalence of ventricular septal defects (VSD) in South Texas region 11 combined with a comprehensive literature review to investigate the correlation between both maternal obesity and diabetes with VSD. Current literature supports a significant association between maternal diabetes and VSD, with one Russian study reporting an eight to nine fold increased risk in VSD in children born to diabetic mothers. By contrast, the compilation of data provided conflicting evidence pertaining to maternal obesity and its correlation with VSD. This project's primary goal is to raise awareness over the current epidemic of chronic disease in South Texas and offer a perspective over the implications it may have on a prominent pediatric cardiac condition.
Recommended Citation
Lopez, Miguel A.; Moon, Sophia; Hebert, Jonathan M.; and Rengasamy, Padmanabhan, "Maternal Health and Congenital Heart Defects: Investigating Ventricular Septal Defects in South Texas Region 11" (2025). Research Symposium. 107.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somrs/2025/posters/107
Included in
Cardiology Commons, Cardiovascular Diseases Commons, Cardiovascular System Commons, Circulatory and Respiratory Physiology Commons, Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities Commons, Medical Anatomy Commons, Pediatrics Commons
Maternal Health and Congenital Heart Defects: Investigating Ventricular Septal Defects in South Texas Region 11
Congenital heart defects are a known risk factor for early childhood mortality and can be traced to poor maternal health, a crisis plaguing the South Texas region. This perspective research project utilizes previously computed data on the prevalence of ventricular septal defects (VSD) in South Texas region 11 combined with a comprehensive literature review to investigate the correlation between both maternal obesity and diabetes with VSD. Current literature supports a significant association between maternal diabetes and VSD, with one Russian study reporting an eight to nine fold increased risk in VSD in children born to diabetic mothers. By contrast, the compilation of data provided conflicting evidence pertaining to maternal obesity and its correlation with VSD. This project's primary goal is to raise awareness over the current epidemic of chronic disease in South Texas and offer a perspective over the implications it may have on a prominent pediatric cardiac condition.
