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Congenital anomalies among live births in a polluted area. A ten-year retrospective study

Emilio Antonio Luca Gianicolo1, Antonella Bruni, Enrico Rosati

  • 1National Research Council, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Lecce, Italy. emilio.gianicolo@ifc.cnr.it

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
|December 29, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Congenital anomalies, particularly heart conditions, are more prevalent in Brindisi, Italy. This study highlights an increased risk for newborns whose mothers resided in Brindisi during pregnancy, indicating potential environmental factors.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Congenital anomalies represent a significant public health concern.
  • Primary prevention strategies are essential for mitigating their impact.
  • Brindisi, Italy, is identified as an area with a high risk of environmental crisis, necessitating local health assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate the prevalence of congenital anomalies in Brindisi.
  • To compare Brindisi's prevalence rates with established European surveillance data.
  • To investigate the association between maternal residence and congenital anomaly risk.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of newborns (0-28 days) born between 2001-2010 to mothers residing in Brindisi.
  • Classification of anomalies using the European Network for the Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies (EUROCAT) system.
  • Logistic regression models to assess the link between maternal municipality of residence and anomaly occurrence.

Main Results:

  • A total of 194 congenital anomalies were recorded among 8,503 newborns, yielding a prevalence of 228.2/10,000 births, which is 1.2 times higher than EUROCAT registry averages.
  • Congenital heart diseases were notably elevated, with 83 cases (49.1% excess).
  • Mothers residing in Brindisi showed a significantly increased odds ratio (OR 1.75) for congenital heart diseases in their newborns.

Conclusions:

  • The study reveals a higher prevalence of congenital anomalies, especially congenital heart diseases, in Brindisi.
  • Findings suggest a potential role for environmental factors in the causation of these anomalies.
  • Further research is recommended to elucidate the specific factors contributing to the observed increase.
Abstract

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