Birth defects in Singapore: 1994-2000.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Pediatric Epidemiology
• Public Health Surveillance

Background:

• Birth defects pose a significant global health challenge.
• Understanding demographic and temporal trends in birth defects is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize birth defect cases in Singapore from 1994-2000.
• To analyze trends in incidence, ethnicity, maternal age, and defect types.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the National Birth Defects Registry (NBDR) data from 1994-2000.
• Included live births, stillbirths, and abortions, analyzing data by ethnicity, maternal age, and defect classification.
• Extracted information from various healthcare sources and registries.

Main Results:

• Reported 7,870 cases (6,278 births, 1,592 abortuses), a rate of 23.99 per 1,000 live births.
• Observed decreasing incidence of birth defects in live births/stillbirths but increasing abortion rates for defects.
• Identified higher defect rates in Malays and at the extremes of maternal age; common defects included heart, musculoskeletal, and chromosomal anomalies.

Conclusions:

• An increasing trend in abortion for birth defects was noted, contrasting with a falling trend in live birth anomalies.
• Both younger and older maternal age groups faced higher risks for non-chromosomal defects.
• Advanced maternal age correlated with an increased risk of chromosomal defects.