The Prevalence of Major Congenital Anomalies Among Live Births in Birjand, Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Congenital anomalies can increase the neonatal mortality rate. Infants with anomalies suffer from long-term disabilities that impose heavy burdens on their families and healthcare systems. Understanding the prevalence of congenital anomalies helps health policy-makers develop better health-related policies. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of major congenital anomalies among live births in Birjand city, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 6,000 infants who were born from September 23, 2015, to March 6, 2016, in the maternity departments in Birjand. Stillbirths and infants who died immediately after birth, i.e. before the assessment for anomalies, were excluded. On the first day of birth, a neonatologist or a pediatrician performed a careful physical examination for each infant to diagnose probable congenital anomalies. Appropriate diagnostic procedures were also used to confirm the diagnosis when needed. Then, data on the characteristics of infants were collected using a researcher-made checklist. The data were reported using descriptive statistics such as absolute frequency, relative frequency, mean, and standard deviation. Moreover, the Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were conducted using the SPSS computer program (v. 16.0) for hypothesis testing at a significance level of less than 0.05. Results: The prevalence of major congenital anomalies was 1.83 cases per 1000 live births. The prevalence rates of low birth weight and prematurity were significantly greater among infants with congenital anomalies than in their non-afflicted counterparts (45.5% vs. 15.9% and 36.4% vs. 11.1%, respectively; P < 0.05). Around 63.6% of the anomalies were among male infants and 54.5% of parents had kinship relationships. Conclusions: This study showed that the prevalence of major congenital anomalies among live births in Birjand was 1.83 cases per 1000 live births, which is less than the rates reported in other areas of Iran.

WITHDRAWN: Prevalence, Types and Risk Factors of Congenital Anomalies (A Hospital Based Study)

“…This is in agreement with Ameen et al, 2018 [26] who found that previous congenital anomalies were associated with high risk of congenital anomalies. This is against Faal et al, 2018 [36] who found that only one affected case was associated with positive family history of congenital anomalies. This study also found that the CA were signi cantly common with urban than rural area.…”

Risk factors associated with congenital anomalies among newborns in southwestern Ethiopia: A case-control study

“…Another study indicated that the prevalence rates of low birth weight and premature birth were significantly greater among infants with CAs than in their non-afflicted counterparts [ 35 ]. In agreement with previous studies, the result of the present study indicated that 47.6% of the neonates with CAs were preterm (premature) births where a statistically significant difference was observed between the cases and controls, indicating that the occurrence of CAs contributes to premature delivery with low birth weight.…”

5‐year experience of a tertiary center in major congenital abnormalities in singleton pregnancies

“…Rate of admission to NICU among live born fetuses was found to be 92.8%. Previous studies demonstrated the rate of congenital abnormalities in patients hospitalized at NICU ranging between 13.7 and 48% (Eventov‐Friedman, Kanevsky, & Bar‐Oz, ; Faal, Abbasi, & Bijari, ). Cooperation with other proficiencies and utilization of NICU for patients with congenital abnormality is critical for decreasing mortality and morbidity.…”