Racial and ethnic differences in infant survival for hydrocephaly—Texas, 1999–2017

Abstract

BackgroundCongenital hydrocephaly, an abnormal accumulation of fluid within the ventricular spaces at birth, can cause disability or death if untreated. Limited information is available about survival of infants born with hydrocephaly in Texas. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to calculate survival estimates among infants born with hydrocephaly without spina bifida in Texas.MethodsA cohort of live‐born infants delivered during 1999–2017 with congenital hydrocephaly without spina bifida was identified from the Texas Birth Defects Registry. Deaths within 1 year of delivery were identified using vital and medical records. One‐year infant survival estimates were generated for multiple descriptive characteristics using the Kaplan–Meier method. Crude hazard ratios (HRs) for one‐year survival among infants with congenital hydrocephaly by maternal and infant characteristics and adjusted HRs for maternal race and ethnicity were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models.ResultsAmong 5709 infants born with congenital hydrocephaly without spina bifida, 4681 (82%) survived the first year. The following characteristics were associated with infant survival: maternal race and ethnicity, clinical classification (e.g., chromosomal or syndromic), preterm birth, birth weight, birth year, and maternal education. In the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, differences in survival were observed by maternal race and ethnicity after adjustment for other maternal and infant characteristics. Infants of non‐Hispanic Black (HR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.04–1.58) and Hispanic (HR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.12–1.54) women had increased risk for mortality, compared with infants of non‐Hispanic White women.ConclusionsThis study showed infant survival among a Texas cohort differed by maternal race and ethnicity, clinical classification, gestational age, birth weight, birth year, and maternal education in infants with congenital hydrocephaly without spina bifida. Findings confirm that mortality continues to be common among infants with hydrocephaly without spina bifida. Additional research is needed to identify other risk factors of mortality risk.