Proximity of residence to trichloroethylene-emitting sites and increased risk of offspring congenital heart defects among older women.

Background: Previous studies suggest that trichloroethylene (TCE) is a selective cardiac teratogen. We tested the hypothesis that the odds of maternal residence close to TCE-emitting sites would be greater among infants with congenital heart defects (CHDs) than among infants without CHDs.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study of 4025 infants, identified from hospital and birth records, born from 1997 to 1999 to Milwaukee, Wisconsin mothers.

Excess birth prevalence of Hypoplastic Left Heart syndrome in eastern Wisconsin for birth cohorts 1997-1999.

Background: Hypoplastic Left Heart syndrome (HLHS) is a group of cardiac malformations involving underdevelopment of the left heart with an inability to maintain systemic circulation. Because of a clinical impression of excess HLHS prevalence, we completed a medical record review of cases born from 1997 through 1999 who were Wisconsin residents and seen at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin (CHW).

Methods: Cases were identified either in the CHW medical records database or the Division of Pediatric Cardiology database and confirmed by echocardiogram, catheterization, surgery, or autopsy.

Completeness of state administrative databases for surveillance of congenital heart disease.

Background: Tracking birth prevalence of cardiac defects is essential to determining time and space clusters, and identifying potential associated factors. Resource limitations on state birth defects surveillance programs sometimes require that databases already available be used for ascertaining such defects. This study evaluated the data quality of state administrative databases for ascertaining congenital heart defects (CHD) and specific diagnoses of CHD.