New Research Links Congenital Heart Defects to Increased Cancer Risk in Babies
Seoul, Tuesday, 18 March 2025.
A recent study indicates that newborns with congenital heart defects have a 66% higher cancer risk and their mothers have a 17% elevated risk, suggesting genetic inclinations.
Groundbreaking Korean Research Reveals Significant Health Implications
A comprehensive analysis of over 3.5 million live births from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, spanning 2005 to 2019, has unveiled concerning correlations between congenital heart defects and cancer risk [1]. The study, published on March 17, 2025, in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation, demonstrates that congenital heart defects, which affect 12 out of every 1,000 live births in North America [2], may have more far-reaching health implications than previously understood.
Varying Risk Levels Based on Heart Defect Types
The research reveals particularly elevated risks for specific types of cardiac abnormalities. Newborns with congenital defects involving blood vessels or heart valves face more than double the cancer risk compared to those without heart defects. Similarly, infants with complex congenital heart disease show twice the likelihood of developing cancer [1][2]. Among the documented cases, leukemia represents 21% of cancer diagnoses, while non-Hodgkin lymphoma accounts for 11% of cases [3].
Maternal Health Implications and Genetic Connections
A significant finding extends beyond infant health to maternal outcomes. The study indicates that mothers who give birth to babies with congenital heart defects show a 17% higher likelihood of receiving a cancer diagnosis within the following decade [1][2]. Dr. June Huh, Professor of Cardiology at Samsung Medical Center, suggests these findings point to potential shared genetic pathways between mother and child [3]. Dr. Keila N. Lopez from Texas Children’s Hospital emphasizes the need to explore environmental factors and stress-related changes that might link congenital heart defects with maternal cancer risk [2].
Healthcare Implications and Future Research
These findings underscore the critical importance of comprehensive, long-term medical surveillance for both affected children and their mothers [3]. While the study provides robust data, medical professionals emphasize the need for further research to understand the precise mechanisms linking cardiac defects and cancer risk [1][2]. The research community continues to investigate potential environmental factors and genetic predispositions that might explain these correlations [alert! ‘exact causal mechanisms not yet fully understood’].