Birth defects and epidemiological factors in Tunisia

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Kaouther Nasri
Nadia Ben Jemaa
Belhassen Chorfi
Mariem Sahraoui
Aida Masmoudi
Soumaya Siala Gaigi

Abstract

Aim: To identify the birth defects listed in the embryo-fetopathology department of the maternity and neonatology center of Tunis (Tunisia), and to study the epidemiological factors.


Methods: We carried out a retrospective study on 2489 malformed cases including fetuses, stillborns and deceased newborns among 5750 ones autopsied in the embryo-fetopathology department of the maternity and neonatology center of Tunis.


Results: The sex ratio of autopsied cases was 1.06. 41% of them weighed less than 500 grams. The gestational age was between 22-28 weeks of amenorrhea in 41.3% of cases.


Among the maternal characteristics, we noted an average maternal age of 30.1 years old (with extremes ranging from 16 to 51 years old), and a predominance of O blood group. Parental consanguinity and history of reproductive failure were found respectively in 37.4% and 32.5% of cases.


Antenatal diagnosis was established in 62% of cases. It was positive in 59.5% of cases (all types of malformations combined).


Among the 2489 malformed cases, 4568 birth defects were identified. Neurological anomalies were the most common (26.01%) followed by nephro-urological anomalies (13.16%) and cardiovascular anomalies (11.47%).


During the study period, 164 cases of polymalformative syndromes were counted and 217 cases of chromosomal aberrations were classified.


Conclusion: This study allowed us to assess the frequency of birth defects, categorize them based on their type and determine the different epidemiological factors during a long period of nine years...(abstract truncated at 250 words).

Keywords:

Birth defects, risk factors, epidemiology, prevention, Tunisia.

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