Patterns of Congenital Heart Diseases in Pediatric Population: Findings from 2D- Echocardiography at University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital anomaly worldwide and a major contributor to childhood morbidity and mortality. In Nigeria, data on the spectrum and determinants of CHDs remain limited. The study aimed to describe the spectrum, severity and associated socio-demographic factors of congenital heart diseases among children presenting to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. This was a prospective cross- sectional study conducted between February and September 2025. Children aged 0-16 years with suspected CHD were consecutively recruited from pediatric cardiology clinic and children emergency ward. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and diagnoses confirmed using 2D echocardiography. CHDs were classified as mild, moderate or severe using ICD-10 criteria. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0 with chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression used to assess associations and predictors. A total of 168 children with CHDs were studied, with an equal male- to – female ratio. Acyanotic CHDs predominated (82.1%) with atrial septal defects (34.0%) and ventricular septal defects (31.6%) being the most common lesions. Tetralogy of Fallot (11.6%) was the most frequent cyanotic CHD. Nearly half of the children (47.6%) had severe CHDs. Maternal education, marital status, tribe, place of residence were significantly associated with CHD occurrence (p <0.005). On multivariate analysis, children residing in urban areas were less likely to have CHDs compared with those in rural areas (OR=0.39, p = 0.019).