The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

3116.0: Monday, November 11, 2002 - 10:35 AM

Abstract #50253

Major congenital anomalies at birth in Benghazi, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Ratan Singh, MD and Omar Ehmida Al-Sudani, OE. Family and Community Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Garyounis, PO BOX 18251, Benghazi, Libya, cell 091 6101494, singhratan_2000@yahoo.com

The present study was conducted to investigate the magnitude, nature and associated risk factors of major Congenital Anomalies (MCAs) at birth from routine health information. The design was of a historical cohort and the sources of data were registers, files and death certificates from maternity, neonatal intensive care units and the hospital statistical section for the year 1997. The MCAs were classified according to the ICD-10 system and multiple MCAs were counted only once by the system of the most major anomaly There were 13 956 live births and 132 among had easily identifiable MCAs. Births with MCAs were defined, for the purpose of this study, as those, which affected survival or caused structural, cosmetic or functional handicaps that required medical or surgical intervention. The incidence of MCAs was 9.5 per 1000 live births. The rate was higher in summer, in babies born to mothers in extremes of age younger than 20 years or over 40 years and high parity .The rate MCAs was higher among low and high birth-weight, post-term, multiple or caesarean births. More than half of cases were with multiple congenital anomalies and two-thirds of the major congenital anomalies were chromosomal, of the central nervous system, of circulatory system, musculoskeletal, GIT and face. The hospital prinatal mortality among births with MCAs was higher than without. Implications for prevention of congenital anomalies and fatalities have been made along with suggestions for further studies.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Birth Defects, Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Birth defects and developmental disabilities

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA