The Baby Hearts Study - a case-control methodology with data linkage to evaluate risk and protective factors for congenital heart disease.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The Baby Hearts study aimed to investigate risk and protective factors for congenital heart disease (CHD), and to investigate the health behaviours of a representative sample of pregnant women in Northern Ireland.

Objectives

We describe and evaluate the population-based case-control design enhanced with data linkage to administrative health data.

Methods

Cases (mothers of babies with CHD, n=286) were recruited following diagnosis prenatally or postnatally. Controls (mothers of babies without CHD, n=966) were recruited at 18-22 weeks gestation, from all women attending each maternity unit during a designated month. Hybrid data collection methods were used, including a self-administered iPad/postal questionnaire, and linkage to maternity and prescription re

SUBMITTER: McCullough N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7479919 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature