Which maternal condition is strongly linked to congenital heart disease?

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is often influenced by maternal health conditions during pregnancy, and diabetes is one of the most strongly associated factors. When a mother has diabetes, especially poorly controlled diabetes, the risk of the fetus developing congenital malformations, including heart defects, increases significantly. This is partly due to the effects of elevated blood sugar levels on fetal development, which can disrupt normal heart formation.

Diabetes is thought to affect the development of the fetal cardiovascular system by impacting the growth and functionality of the cellular structures necessary for forming a healthy heart. Additionally, maternal diabetes can lead to other complications, such as fetal hyperglycemia, which can also contribute to the risk of CHD.

In contrast, while conditions like hypertension, obesity, and anemia can also pose risks to both the mother and fetus, their direct links to congenital heart disease are not as well established as that of diabetes. Obesity may contribute to various pregnancy complications, but its specific connection to CHD is more indirect. Anemia, although it can affect pregnancy outcomes negatively, has not been consistently associated with an increased risk of congenital heart defects. Hypertension can also complicate pregnancy but does not have the same strong link to CHD as diabetes does.

Thus, diabetes