Introduction and objectives: Congenital cardiopathies are the most common forms of congenital malformation. They occur in between 5.2 and 12.5 in every thousand live births. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence and nature of congenital heart disease in the Spanish region of Navarra during a specified time period (1989-1998).
Patients and method: The study involved all children with congenital heart disease among the 47 783 born in the region in the specified time period.
Results: The incidence was 8.96 per thousand live births, with 90% having one of the 10 most common types of cardiac malformation. The accumulative percentage diagnosed was 25.3% in the first 24 hours of life, 45% in the first week, 65% in the first month, and 83.1% during the first year. Some 30.8% of cases of congenital heart disease required invasive treatment: 25.4% underwent surgery and 6.4%, cardiac catheterization.
Conclusions: The incidence of congenital heart disease in Navarra falls within the range reported for developed countries. The level of care provided in this region is good, as demonstrated by existing diagnostic capabilities and treatment provision.