Related Experiment Videos
Maternal factors associated with severity of birth defects
E Sheiner1, I Shoham-Vardi, E K Sheiner
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel. vilana3bgumail.bgu.ac.il.
Insights
Higher birth order is linked to more severe birth defects in Bedouin pregnancies. This finding is crucial for understanding and managing congenital anomalies in high-risk populations.
Area of Science:
- Medical Genetics
- Prenatal Diagnosis
- Reproductive Health
Background:
- Bedouin Arab populations face elevated risks for birth defects due to factors like inbreeding and nutrition.
- The severity of congenital anomalies often correlates with the timing and extent of embryonic developmental interference.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors associated with the severity of birth defects in Bedouin women's pregnancies.
- To analyze data from a third-level ultrasound clinic to understand birth defect etiology.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 295 Bedouin women was studied between 1990 and 1996.
- Cases included 188 fetuses with severe birth defects (life-limiting or significantly impairing), while 107 had mild defects.
Main Results:
- Women with severe fetal defects had significantly more pregnancies and deliveries compared to those with mild defects (P=0.005, P=0.04).
- Maternal age, consanguinity, residence, birth order, prior pregnancy outcomes, and family history of birth defects were not associated with defect severity.
Conclusions:
- Higher birth order was identified as a significant factor associated with the severity of birth defects detected during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Objective:
Due to inbreeding and nutritional factors, the Bedouin Arabs represent a high risk population for birth defects. The severity of birth defects is probably related to the time and extent of interference with embryogenesis. The present study was aimed at identifying factors associated with severity of birth defects, in pregnancies of Bedouin women examined at a third level ultrasound clinic.
Methods:
The study population consisted of 295 Bedouin women who attended an ultrasound clinic at the Soroka Medical Center between 1990 and 1996. The case group included 188 women carrying fetuses with severe birth defects, defined as incompatible with life or which significantly interfere with normal living. For those defects the option of pregnancy termination was discussed. The comparison group consisted of 107 women whose fetuses were diagnosed with mild defects.
Results:
Women carrying fetuses with severe birth defects had more pregnancies and more deliveries than women carrying fetuses with mild defects (P = 0.005, P = 0.04, respectively). The severity of defects was found to be unrelated to maternal age, consanguinity, residence, birth order, previously uncompleted pregnancies and birth defects in the family.
Conclusions:
Higher birth order was associated with severity of birth defects detected at the second trimester.