Incidence, Distribution, Disease Spectrum, and Genetic Deficits of Congenital Heart Defects in China: Implementation of Prenatal Ultrasound Screening Identified 18,171 Affected Fetuses from 2,452,249 Pregnancies

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common birth defects. Assessment of the incidence, distribution, disease spectrum, and genetic deficits of fetal CHDs in China is urgently needed. A national echocardiography screening program for fetal CHDs was implemented in 92 prenatal screening–diagnostic centers in China. A total of 18,171 fetal CHD cases were identified from 2,452,249 pregnancies, resulting in 7·4/1,000 as the national incidence rate of fetal CHD. The incidences of fetal CHD in the six geographical regions, the southern, central, eastern, southwestern, northern, and northwestern, were 7·647 (CI: 7·383–7·915), 7·839 (CI: 7·680–8·000), 7·647 (CI: 7·383–7·915), 7·562 (CI: 7·225–7·907), 5·618 (CI: 5·337–5·906), and 4·716 (CI: 4·341–5·108), respectively, per 1,000 pregnancies. Overall, ventricular septal defect was the most common fetal CHD, accounting for 17.04