New research from South Korea suggests that babies born with heart problems may have a higher chance of developing cancer during their first 10 years of life.
Surprisingly, their mothers might also face a greater risk of cancer after giving birth to these children.
The study was led by Dr. June Huh, a pediatric heart specialist at the Heart Vascular Stroke Institute at Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine in Seoul.
Dr. Huh said the results show that both a mother’s health and her genes might play a role in the child’s heart defect and future cancer risk. This research highlights the possible link between genetic traits, heart problems at birth, and cancer.
Heart defects are the most common birth defect in the United States. In North America, about 12 out of every 1,000 babies are born with a heart defect. These can range from small issues, like a hole between the chambers of the heart, to very serious problems, such as missing parts of the heart.
Thanks to modern medicine, many children with heart defects now live longer, healthier lives than in the past. But doctors have noticed that these children may be more likely to develop other health problems later, including cancer.
In this study, researchers looked at the medical records of over 3.5 million babies born in South Korea between 2005 and 2019. They followed both the children and their mothers for about 10 years.
The results showed that children born with heart defects were 66% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer during that time compared to children born with healthy hearts. The risk was even higher for those with more serious heart defects, especially when the defect involved the blood vessels or valves of the heart. These children had more than double the cancer risk of other children.
The most common cancers found in both groups were leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These are cancers that affect the blood and immune system.
But it wasn’t just the children who were at risk. Mothers of babies with heart defects were also 17% more likely to get cancer in the following 10 years than mothers of children without heart problems.
The researchers don’t yet know why this link exists. One possible reason could be shared genes. It’s possible that some genetic mutations in the mother could increase the risk for both heart defects in the baby and cancer in both mother and child.
Another idea is that changes in how genes work — without changing the actual DNA — might play a role. These changes can be caused by the environment or by stress.
Dr. Keila Lopez, a pediatric heart doctor in Texas who was not part of the study, said she was surprised to see the link between a baby’s heart condition and the mother’s cancer risk.
She pointed out that having a sick child is often very stressful, and stress may affect the body in ways that could increase cancer risk. She said more research is needed to understand whether stress, environmental factors, or genetic changes are responsible for this connection.
Dr. Lopez added that the study is a good reminder of how important it is for children with heart defects to get regular medical care from both heart doctors and general doctors. These children might face lifelong health risks, and regular checkups could help catch problems early.
Review and Analysis
This large study adds important new information to what we know about the long-term health of children born with heart defects — and their mothers. It shows that these children are not only at risk for heart-related issues but may also be more likely to develop cancer. The higher cancer risk for mothers is also a surprising and important discovery.
While the study does not prove what causes these risks, it raises several important questions. Could the same genes that lead to heart defects also increase cancer risk? Could stress or environmental factors during pregnancy play a role? These are questions that future research will need to answer.
For now, the study reminds us that both children with heart defects and their mothers may need extra medical attention in the years following birth.
Families affected by congenital heart defects should be aware of these possible risks and make sure to stay in regular contact with doctors. Early checkups and monitoring could make a big difference in catching health issues before they become serious.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about vitamin D and bowel cancer, and a cautionary note about peanuts and cancer.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the link between ultra-processed foods and cancer, and everyday foods to ward off pancreatic cancer.
The research findings can be found in Circulation.
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