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The association between major birth defects and preterm birth.
Margaret A Honein1, Russell S Kirby, Robert E Meyer
1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. MHonein@cdc.gov
Maternal and Child Health Journal
|May 20, 2008
Summary
Major birth defects are over twice as common in preterm births and five times more common in very preterm births. Identifying shared causes could reduce both preterm birth and birth defects.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Preterm birth is a significant contributor to infant mortality and morbidity.
- Birth defects represent a substantial burden on affected infants and healthcare systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between preterm birth and major birth defects.
- To analyze this association by maternal and infant characteristics and specific defect types.
Main Methods:
- Pooled data from 13 U.S. states (1995-2000) from population-based birth defect surveillance systems.
- Analysis included singleton, live births between 24-44 weeks of gestational age.
Main Results:
- Birth defects were over twice as common in preterm births (24-36 weeks) compared to term births (PR=2.65).
- Birth defects were over five times more likely in very preterm births (24-31 weeks) (PR=5.25).
- Central nervous system (PR=16.23) and cardiovascular defects (PR=9.29) showed the strongest association with very preterm birth.
Conclusions:
- Birth defects are a significant factor contributing to preterm birth.
- Further research into shared causal pathways and risk factors is crucial for developing interventions.
- Interventions targeting shared factors may reduce the incidence of both preterm birth and birth defects.
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