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This study aimed to assess the impact of insurance coverage for fetal echocardiography on the number of deaths related to congenital heart disease (CHD) in Japan. Data from 2000 to 2018 on CHD-related deaths in infants under 12 months old were analyzed. The study found that after insurance coverage for fetal echocardiography was initiated in 2010, there was a decrease in the annual deaths related to congenital malformations of the aortic and mitral valves. This decrease persisted even after adjusting for other factors. However, there was no significant decrease observed in other CHD patient groups, except for male patients with aortic and mitral valve malformations. These results suggest that the availability of prenatal diagnosis through fetal echocardiography has improved mortality outcomes specifically for patients with aortic and mitral valve malformations in Japan.
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