The Sooner, the Better: Neuroprotective Strategies in Fetuses With Congenital Heart Disease

TL;DR

This paper reviews strategies to protect the brains of fetuses with heart defects to improve long-term brain development.

Contribution

The study highlights the importance of managing modifiable risk factors in prenatal care to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in fetuses with CHD.

Findings

Fetal brain development issues in CHD are linked to poor long-term outcomes.

Modifiable factors like maternal health and gestational age should be managed to improve outcomes.

More research is needed before in-utero interventions can be widely used.

Abstract

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most frequent congenital malformation at birth and is associated with neurodevelopmental impairments. Alterations in cardiovascular physiology can lead to reduced cerebral blood perfusion and oxygenation, which negatively affects brain growth and maturation. Advanced imaging studies indicate that these aberrations in brain development can manifest as early as in utero, resulting from the inability of the fetal circulatory system to meet the increased metabolic demands of the brain. Fetal brain dysmaturation increases the susceptibility to postnatal brain injury and is related to adverse long‐term neurodevelopmental outcomes throughout childhood. This emphasizes the potential for effective prenatal neuroprotective strategies in fetuses with CHD, as optimization of their intrauterine environment may prevent irreversible neurological damage and minimize long‐term neurodevelopmental comorbidities. This review provides a comprehensive overview of prenatal neuroprotective strategies in fetuses with critical CHD, including in utero therapeutic interventions, prenatal surgical cardiac interventions, and modifiable prenatal and perinatal risk factors.

What is already known about this topic?◦Fetuses with congenital heart disease are at risk of impaired fetal brain development, which is related to adverse long‐term neurodevelopmental outcomes.What does this study add?◦To optimize neurologic outcomes, we encourage the consideration and targeted management of modifiable risk factors in perinatal care, such as gestational age at birth, maternal and placental health, and prenatal maternal stress exposure.◦The in‐utero therapeutic interventions and prenatal surgical cardiac interventions studied to date require more research before they can be implemented in standard care regimens.

What is already known about this topic?

Fetuses with congenital heart disease are at risk of impaired fetal brain development, which is related to adverse long‐term neurodevelopmental outcomes.

What does this study add?

To optimize neurologic outcomes, we encourage the consideration and targeted management of modifiable risk factors in perinatal care, such as gestational age at birth, maternal and placental health, and prenatal maternal stress exposure.

The in‐utero therapeutic interventions and prenatal surgical cardiac interventions studied to date require more research before they can be implemented in standard care regimens.

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