Investigation and analysis of neonate deformity in water arsenic exposure areas / 中华预防医学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the level and feature of neonate deformity in water arsenic exposure areas, as to finding out an evidence for the study and prevention of the arsenic exposure.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The birth situation of neonate was surveyed from 1998 to 2004 in water arsenic exposure areas according to cross-sectional survey. The results were classified in accordance with ICD-10 and common surveillance of china. The population of Shanyin County served as the common people and the data were analyzed by SPSS 11.5 for windows.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The neonates surveyed were 2467 cases. There were 49 neonates deformity found in this investigation, giving a neonate deformity rate of 198.62 per 10,000 cases, which was shown significantly higher in water arsenic exposure areas than in the normal (U = 3.23, P < 0.01), with types of nervous system deformity, limbs deformity and congenital heart disease as in system classification. There was no significant difference of deformity rate in different sex neonates (chi2 = 0.32, P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The drinking high-arsenic water over a long period of time should be a risk factor of neonate deformity. Prevention and treatment of endemic arsenic exposure should be urgently needed.</p>