Congenital malformations in the west of Iraq

ABSTRACT

CM is the leading cause of infant deaths and account for much greater proportion of infant mortality than does premature birth. A malformation is a primary structural defect arising from a localized error in morphogenesis. This is a prospective study devoted to define the causes and frequencies of congenital malformations [CM] in Maternal and Children Hospital [MCH] in Al-Anbar governorate [west of Iraq] and a comparison is done with other Iraqi and international studies. Congenital malformations were studied over a period of 2 years from the 1[st] of July 2000 to the 30th of June 2002 in 12831 births including stillbirths at MCH in Al- Anbar governorate [west of Iraq]. A control group of 100 women who gave birth to normal newborn babies was studied similarly. The overall birth prevalence of CM is 8.5/1000 births [109/12831] and stillbirth prevalence is 21/1000 [269/12831] births. The most common system involved in CM is the CNS that constitute 55% of total CM followed by skeletal system 33% then GIT 7% urogenital 2% recognized syndromes 2%, and others 1%. This study shows a significant association between each of stillbirth, LBW, polyhydramnios, parental consanguinity advanced maternal age and family history of CM. The present study shows no significant association with each of urban /rural status, and sex, attending antenatal care, tonics, fever, UTI, and diabetes mellitus. The overall birth prevalence of CM is almost the same as that recorded by Al-Saadoon et al in Basra which was 8.7/1000 in the year 1994 and lower than the birth prevalence of CM recorded by Grover-N in India in the year 2000 which was 17.8/1000 Associations between some of the risk factors and CM are similar and others are different from other studies