The burden of antenatal heart disease in South Africa: a systematic review

Table 4 Recommended minimum standards for future observational studies on antenatal heart disease in South Africa

Study parameters	Examples
Basic study information to include
- Study design/recruitment methods
- Methods of diagnosis	Clinical examination, echocardiogram, or algorithm
- Basic demographics	Distribution by age and parity; proportion of pre-existing vs new diagnoses
- Data on the reference population	Total number of deliveries at the institution during the study period
Profiling of cardiac lesions
- Detail valvular lesions	MS, MR, mixed mitral, AS, AI, any prosthetic (metal vs biologic) repairs or BMV
- Detail congenital lesions	Cyanotic, ASD, VSD (note any Eisenmenger syndrome)
- Detail cardiomyopathies	Peri- or post-partum vs idiopathic dilated vs other cardiomyopathies
- Mention other lesions	Arrhythmias (other than secondary AF), pericardial disease, coronary disease
Profiling of outcomes
- Stratify mortality by lesion	Maternal death (include cause), foetal death (include cause if known)
- Stratify morbidity by lesion	Pulmonary oedema, thrombosis, haemorrhage, infective endocarditis, IUGR, SGA

MS mitral stenosis, MR mitral regurgitation, AS aortic stenosis, AI aortic insufficiency, BMV balloon mitral valvuloplasty, ASD atrial septal defect, VSD ventricular septal defect, AF atrial fibrillation, IUGR intrauterine growth restriction, SGA small for gestational age

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