ABSTRACT
Objective: The study was undertaken to determine the proportion and pattern of Neural Tube Defects (NTD)reported at tertiary care teaching hospital in Gurugram. The incidence of NTDs were determined and comparedwith other studies done in India and other countries.Material and methods: The study was carried out in SGT Medical College Hospital and Research Institute,Gurugram. The total number of deliveries was recorded from 2017- 2019.The aborted fetuses with NTDs wereobserved in detail externally for the sex, type of NTD and other associated anomalies after obtaining ethicalclearance and written informed consent of the parents.Results: The number of deliveries conducted between 2017-2019 at SGT Medical College Hospital and ResearchInstitute, Gurugram was 2500. There were 8 babies born with NTDs (5 female and 4 male). Overall incidence ofNTDs in the present study was 3.2/1000 births with female preponderance. The incidence of fetuses withanencephaly, myelocele, meningomyelocele, craniorachischisis and encephalocele were 0.8, 1.2, 0.4, 0.4, and0.4 per 1000 births respectively.Conclusion: Birth defects like Neural Tube Defects are easily detected by routine screening tests like USG in firstand second trimester of pregnancy. Public health measures like preconception folic acid supplements andincreasing awareness about maternal care during pregnancy needs to be highlighted to decrease the incidenceof congenital anomalies and their comorbidities.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: A variety of malformations are included under the description of Neural tube defects (NTDs). These are abnormalities of the embryonic neuralization process. The congenital malformations of human structure and are of great interest to anatomists, obstetricians, pediatricians and radiologists. NTDs are among the commonest and most severe disorders, affecting 0.5-2 per 1000 established pregnancies, and are second commonest group of birth defects, after congenital heart defects. A valuable contribution of this study, the neural tube defects aimed at clinical methods and refined for the prenatal diagnosis in utero. Materials and Methods: This comprehensive study was undertaken to know the incidence of detail knowledge of neural tube defects in KIMS Narketpally and KAMS & RC Hyderabad, among 1000 births during the period of two years. We found seven fetuses with neural tube defects involving brain and spinal cord. A detailed study was done emphasizing on embryology and genetic and non-genetic concepts. Results & Conclusion: The seven fetuses were stillbirths and aborted babies between 20 to 40 weeks, presented with neural tube defects (0.7%). Five fetuses were females and two fetuses were males. The spinal defects were 0.4%, cranial defects 0.2% and complete neural tube defects is 0.1%. This review article discusses the classification, clinical research and epidemiological understanding of NTDs and correlated with the available literatures.