O&G Forum

OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY FORUM 2022 | ISSUE 3 | 9 Medical conditions Absent 1033 42.51 203 84.94 830 37.88 1.0 Present 1397 57.49 36 15.06 1361 62.12 0.11 (0.07- 0.156)] <0.0001 *Student’s t test; **Fisher exact test Figure 1. Occurrence rate of CBD (by maternal age) Discussion The central nervous system anomalies contributed about 40.60% of all CBDs identified. It was found that maternal age affected development of chromosomal anomalies. The occurrence rates of most congenital anomalies where lower than rates in Georgia, USA, but slightly higher compared to rates in Taiwan. Most of these congenital birth defects can be prevented. Supplementing pregnant women with folic acid can lower the incidence of CBDs. Advancing technology has made detecting fetal anomalies as early as the first and second trimesters a reality. Study Strengths and Limitations A major limitation in this study was that there was a great deal of missing data. For example, variables that would have been beneficial for data interpretation purposes and to identify risk factors, such as ethnic groups, and those patients who had previous pregnancies with CBDs and the types of CBDs, were not captured in the data. A follow-up prospective study is recommended. Conclusion This study highlighted specific opportunities to improve primary prevention and care of congenital anomalies. The study assisted in identifying the most common CBDs observed at this facility and will subsequently help to improve antenatal care to be more directed and patient education to be more guided. Public awareness of the preventable risk factors must be raised, and early prenatal diagnosis and management of common congenital anomalies is strongly recommended. Folic acid supplementation, preconception diabetes screening and related counselling could have significant and broad health benefits in women included in this study and arguably in the larger South African population. References 1. World Health Organization. Section on congenital anomalies. Available from: http://www.who.int/ mediacentre/factsheets/fs370/en/. [Aug 2018]. 2. Jayasree, S. & Smitha D’Couth. 2018. Prevalence of congenital anomalies in a tertiary care centre in North Kerala, India. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol. 7(3):864869. Available from: www.ijrcog.org . 3. Christianson, A., Howson, C.P. & Modell, C.B. 2006. March of Dimes Global Report on Birth Defects: The Hidden Toll of Dying and Disabled Children. The March of Dimes. Available from: https://www.marchofdimes.org/. 4. Kyu, H.H., et al. 2016. Global Burden of Disease Paediatrics Collaboration. Global and National Burden of Diseases and Injuries Among Children and Adolescents Between 1990 and 2013: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2013 Study. JAMA Pediatr. 170(3):267-87. 5. World Health Organization. 2016. Congenital anomalies. Available from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/ factsheets/fs370/en/ [26 Jul 2017]. 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2015. Facts about birth defects. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/ ncbddd/birthdefects/facts.html. [26 Jul 2017]. 7. Feldkamp, M.L., et al. 2017. Etiology and clinical presentation of birth defects: populationbased study. The BMJ. 357, j2249. Available from: http://doi.org/10.1136/ bmj.j2249. 8. Eik-Nes, S.H. 2010. The 18-week fetal examination and detection of anomalies. Prenatal Diagn. 30: 624–630. 9. Cragan, J.D., et al. 2017. Baseline Prevalence of Birth Defects Associated with Congenital Zika Virus Infection Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia, 2013-2014. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Weekly. 66(8);219–222. 10. Czeizel, A.E. et al. 2011. Association between uterus uni/ bicornis in pregnant women and postural deformities in their offspring. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 205(6): 560.e16. 11. Blomberg, M.I. & Källén, B. 2010. Maternal obesity and morbid obesity: the risk for birth defects in the offspring. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol. 88(1):35-40. 12. Gilboa, S.M. et al. 2012. Association between maternal occupational exposure to organic solvent and congenital heart defects. National Birth Defects Prevention Study. 19972002. P1-12. Occup Environ Med. 69(9): 628–635. 13. Chen, B.Y., Hwang, B.F. & Guo, Y.L. 2009. Epidemiology of Congenital Anomalies in a Population-based Birth Registry in Taiwan, 2002. J Formos Med Assoc. 108(6):460-8. O&G Forum 2022; 32: 06-09 ORIGINAL RESEARCH