Prevalence of Congenital Anomaly and Its Relationship with Maternal Education and Age According to Local Development in the Extreme South of Brazil

Abstract

Congenital anomalies (CA) contribute to disabilities and health conditions throughout life. Furthermore, they can cause emotional distress to the mothers and children, who may also experience limitations in individual and social development. This study investigated the prevalence of CA and the relationship with maternal education and age according to local development in the extreme south of Brazil. This is a retrospective observational study with birth data from the Live Birth Information System from 2000 to 2017. The association between age and maternal education with the presence of CA was verified using multiple Poisson regression for robust variances in models adjusted for those variables with a preliminary significant association. A total of 5131 (1.5%) had some CA identified at birth between 2000 and 2017. Only advanced age (≥36 years) was associated with CA regardless of macro-region development (p ≤ 0.001). The highest risk was observed in regions with medium development (RR = 1.60; 95% CI 1.30–1.97). Maternal education (<8 years of study) was associated with CA only in mothers from macro-regions with very high development (RR = 1.27; 95% CI 1.03–1.54). These analyses confirmed that women of advanced age are at greater risk of having children with a CA regardless of maternal education and local development, but social characteristics can also have an influence, as regions with higher development had lower prevalence of CA.

Birth outcomes in pregnant women with epilepsy: A Nationwide multicenter study from Türkiye

“…Other factors affecting the development of CMs, including the maternal education level, planned pregnancy, and folic acid use, have been discussed in a few studies. Anele et al reported that maternal education (<8 years of study) was associated with CMs 40 . We found that, the risk was 2.32 times higher in PWWE with low educational levels (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 0.88–6.11, p = .085).…”

“…Anele et al reported that maternal education (<8 years of study) was associated with CMs. 40 We found that, the risk was 2.32 times higher in PWWE with low educational levels (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 0.88-6.11, p = .085). In other words, low education level can be considered as a risk factor for the development of malformations.…”

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“…Regions with the lowest percentage of teenage pregnancies had the highest prevalence of gastroschisis. These regions are the most developed in the country and were expected to have the lowest prevalence (Anele, Goldani, Schüler-faccini, & Silva, 2022).…”