A two-year study of patterns and prevalence of congenital malformations

Abstract

Background: India is undergoing an epidemiological transition; communicable diseases are on the decline due to better living conditions and healthcare delivery. On the other hand, the relative increase in the prevalence of non-communicable, chronic and genetic diseases threatens to be a public health problem in India like congenital malformations. Congenital malformations remain one of the least focused areas of disease surveillance in India compared with communicable and some chronic diseases. Thus, data on the magnitude of birth defects are essential to plan preventive strategies and organize methods of supportive care for affected individuals and families. The aim of this study is to study the incidence and prevalence of the birth defects and the patterns of congenital malformations in our institute and the various risk factors influencing the occurrence.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on all Ant natal patients and deliveries conducted in the institution for a period of two years from June 2015 to May 2017. Mediscan Systems extended a big hand in further confirmation of diagnosis. A detailed history was taken regarding the patients and husband’s age, parity, occupation, previous obstetric outcome, family history of birth defects and exposure to teratogens and environmental factors and intake of periconceptional folate. Data analysis was done with respect to age, parity, consanguinity, sex, previous defects.Results: CNS defects were the most recognisable malformations at birth. Pick up rate for CVS anomalies were low requiring expertise. As against the wide prevalence of cardiac defects across total population the reported prevalence is less as similar to rest of the studies done in many centres across the country. Target scan has halved the burden of birth defects.Conclusions: Congenital malformations though cannot be prevented totally but can be minimised and if detected early will reduce the mental agony in the mother and family. Prenatal counselling, periconceptional folate, anomaly scan, Prenatal diagnosis reduce the incidence of birth defects.

Profile of neonates born with congenital birth defects in a tertiary care hospital of North India: An observational study

“…Similarly study by Lavanya et al found that no association with parity. 26 However few studies like by Marwah et al, Sarkar et al, Sachdeva et al found multiparous mothers have more cases of CBDs. 13,15,18 In our study, proportion of caesarean section deliveries were equal among the two groups.…”

Clinical profile of women seeking medical termination of pregnancy at a tertiary care institute, South India

“…Becker and Wegner reported that 84% of anomalies could be diagnosed accurately at 11-14 weeks scan but other reports found accurate diagnosis to be possible mostly during second trimester. [6][7][8] It was estimated that globally 27,000 newborn deaths occurred within 28 days after birth due to congenital malformations and in India approximately 6% of births were reported to have congenital malformations. 9 Decision making for continuation of pregnancy or termination depends on the lethality of the anomaly and most lethal anomalies are only terminated.…”