Congenital heart defects in West Virginia: Preliminary findings from an ecological study of effects of an industrial watershed on increased incidence.

Objective: Congenital anomalies are the leading cause of infant death, with congenital heart (CHD) defects the most common type. The study objective was to evaluate the incidence of fetal CHD in a tertiary care medical center's obstetric population in West Virginia and map areas of possible environmental exposure.

Methods: This was an observational study of patients with positive ultrasound screen for CHD from 1/1/2007-8/31/2016.