Congenital Heart Defects in Nigerian Children: Preliminary Data From the National Pediatric Cardiac Registry

Abstract

This is the first prospective, registry-based, multicenter study of CHDs in Nigerian children. We demonstrate important differences between the Northern and the Southern geographical regions of the country in terms of age at diagnosis, type, and severity of lesion as well as access to cardiac surgery. The findings demonstrate the utility of a national CHDs registry for understanding clinical epidemiology of CHDs in low- and middle-income countries and its potential to serve as a basis for research and planning.