Prevalence of birth defects in an Arctic Russian setting from 1973 to 2011: a register-based study

Abstract

BackgroundBirth defects (BD) constitute an important public health issue as they are the main cause of infant death. Their prevalence in Europe for 2008–2012 was 25.6 per 1000 newborns. To date, there are no population-based studies for the Russian Federation. The aim of the present study is to estimate the prevalence of BD, its forms, and changes over time in the Russian Arctic city of Monchegorsk (Murmansk County) for the period 1973–2011.MethodsThe Murmansk County Birth Register and the Kola Birth Register were the primary sources of information, covering 30448 pregnancy outcomes in Monchegorsk (Murmansk County, Russia) during the study period.ResultsThe total perinatal prevalence of BD was 36.1/1000 live births (LB) and stillborn (SB) (95% CI = 34.0-38.2). After exclusions of minor malformations according to the European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies guidelines, it decreased to 26.5/1000 LB plus SB (95% CI = 24.6-28.3). The perinatal prevalence of BD that are obligatory to report in Russia was 7.3/1000 LB plus SB (95% CI = 6.4-8.3). There was a significant positive time-trend in total perinatal prevalence of birth defects across the study period (p < 0.001 for trend). Prevalence of all BD increased from 23.5/1000 to 46.3/1000 (LB plus SB), while that excluding minor defects rose from 17.7/1000 to 35.7/1000 (LB plus SB). The most prevalent group of defects was malformations of the musculoskeletal system, which represented 35.4% of all BD. The most prominent increase was observed for the urinary system, rising from 0.2/1000 to 19.1/1000 (LB plus SB).ConclusionsThe observed perinatal prevalence of BD in Monchegorsk increased two-fold during the 38-year study period. Further investigations to identify the underlying bases for the observed progressive growth in BD are recommended.

Changes in maternal age and prevalence of congenital anomalies during the enactment of China's universal two-child policy (2013–2017) in Zhejiang Province, China: An observational study

“…In 2017 (the universal two-child policy period), BDs affected 304.36 per 10,000 births in Zhejiang Province. This prevalence is comparable with reports from the US National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN), European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies (EUROCAT), and the national prevalence of Thailand (200-300 per 10,000 births); this prevalence is lower than the national level of Korea (446.3 per 10,000 births) and arctic regions of Russia (361 per 10,000 births) [17,18,[28][29][30][31][32]. The variations among the different studies may be attributable to differences in sociodemographic characteristics, inclusion criteria, diagnostic technologies, and methods of case ascertainment.…”

“…Further studies with detailed information on socioeconomic status are thus needed to determine whether socioeconomic status plays a role in the association between birth policy changes and BDs. Other factors, e.g., increasing multiple births, genetic changes, and environmental exposures, might also contribute to the results [28][29][30]44]. The impact of improved technology on the surveillance system over time could also have contributed to the increase in total BDs and BD subtypes.…”

Changes in detection of birth defects and perinatal mortality after introduction of prenatal ultrasound screening in the Kola Peninsula (North-West Russia): combination of two birth registries

“…The MCBR was established in 2005, and prospectively registers pregnancy outcomes from 22 weeks of gestation on as January 1, 2006 [ 17 ]. The technicalities of merging the two registries were presented previously, as well as the Monchegorsk perinatal statistics [ 14 ].…”

“…We previously reported a steady increase during 2003–2011 in the birth prevalence of BD for this community, with significant growth in the birth prevalence of defects of the nervous system and urinary malformations. It was suspected that one of the underlying reasons for the increase was the establishment of PS [ 14 ]. The objectives of the present study are: (i) determine the influence of PS on the prevalence at birth of BD and perinatal mortality, and (ii) estimate the prenatal detection rates for all groups of BD.…”

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and the urinary tract: A murmansk county birth registry study

“…Previously we reported a high prevalence of musculoskeletal and urinary tract malformations in the town of Monchegorsk, which is located in Murmansk County (Postoev et al, 2015a). The overall perinatal prevalence of CAKUTs in Monchegorsk increased from 4.4 per 1000 in [1993][1994][1995][1996][1997][1998][1999][2000][2001][2002] (that of all BD was 38.7 per 1000) to 19.1 in 2003-2011 (46.3 per 1000 for all BD).…”