Newborns with a heart defect may have two strikes against their future health, rather than one.
Babies with heart birth defects appear to have a higher risk of developing childhood cancer, compared to those without a heart abnormality, researchers report in the journal Circulation.
Childhood cancers are 66% higher in newborns with a congenital heart defect, compared to those born with healthy hearts, researchers say.
Further, cancer risk was more than double in newborns with heart defects that included blood vessels or heart valves, and twice higher among those with complex defects, results show.
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