Isolated esophageal atresia and perinatal risk factors

Esophageal atresia (EA) is a relatively rare alimentary tract congenital anomaly. We studied perinatal risk factors of 90 live birth cases of isolated EA with (40 cases) or without (50 cases) tracheal fistula. We found sex ratios of 1.43 for total EA cases and 1.5 for both subgroups of EA with or without tracheal fistula. Evaluation of parity showed statistically significant values for low parity and for high multiparity for EA with and without tracheal fistula. Birth weight evaluation revealed statistically significant values for both subgroups. We did not find statistical significance both for maternal age and gestational age. The etiology of esophageal atresia is complex and heterogeneous and within each subgroup, apparently different etiologies may exist, resulting in differences in epidemiologic characteristics. Moreover, some causes linked to genetics and gene-environment interaction may be involved. We think that parity and low birth weight can be considered as risk factors for EA, and an accurate evaluation of reproductive history can be useful for the provision of genetic and perinatal counseling.