A recent study highlights the significant impact of adequate prenatal care on the delivery outcomes for neonates with congenital heart defects (CHDs). Published on November 9, 2025, in JAMA Network Open, the research coincides with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, taking place from November 7 to 10 in New Orleans. This study underscores the importance of prenatal visits in ensuring appropriate healthcare for newborns with heart conditions.
Researchers led by Christina Laternser, Ph.D., from the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, explored the correlation between the adequacy of prenatal care and the likelihood of delivery at specialized pediatric cardiac centers. The study focused on neonates born with congenital heart defects in Illinois from 2013 to 2021, analyzing data from a total of 12,113 cases.
Among the participants, 3,076 neonates, or 25.4%, were delivered at a cardiac center, while 1,579, representing 13.0%, had severe congenital heart disease. The findings revealed that only 2.3% of infants received no prenatal care, and 13.4% had inadequate prenatal care. In contrast, 10.8%, 34.8%, and 38.8% of neonates received intermediate, adequate, and adequate-plus prenatal care, respectively.
The study identified a clear association between the initiation of prenatal care and delivery location. For infants with mild CHD, there was a 10.5 percentage point increase in the likelihood of being born at a cardiac center. For those with severe CHD, the probability rose by 30.2 percentage points. Interestingly, when comparing prenatal care levels, adequate-plus care was linked to a 6.7 percentage point reduction in the likelihood of delivery at a cardiac center for mild CHD cases. However, for severe CHD, the frequency of prenatal visits did not influence delivery location.
Senior author Joyce Woo, M.D., also from the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, emphasized the significance of prenatal care in ensuring that infants with congenital heart defects are born in suitable environments equipped to provide necessary medical attention. “Prenatal care ensures that babies with congenital heart defects are born at the right location with the appropriate intensity of care based on their clinical needs,” she stated.
These findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on optimizing prenatal care practices to benefit infants with congenital heart defects. As healthcare providers strive to improve outcomes for these vulnerable populations, the research underscores the necessity of early and adequate prenatal visits.
For further details, refer to the original study by Christina Laternser et al, titled “Prenatal Care and Perinatal Regionalization for Congenital Heart Defects,” published in JAMA Network Open (2025).
