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Factors Associated with Infant Mortality Due to Congenital Anomalies: A Population-Based Case-Control Study
Fatemeh Zolfizadeh1, Maryam Ghorbani2, Maryam Soltani3
1Mother and Child Welfare Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
Insights
Congenital anomalies are a major cause of infant mortality. Factors like maternal age, smoking, and consanguineous marriage significantly increase infant death risk from these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Genetics
Background:
- Congenital anomalies represent a significant public health challenge, contributing to infant mortality and morbidity.
- Investigating associated factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors associated with infant mortality due to congenital anomalies in Iran.
- To inform public health strategies for prevention and management.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 2199 mothers across nine Iranian provinces (2015-2018).
- Cases: mothers with infant death due to congenital anomalies. Controls: mothers with live births or infant deaths from other causes.
- Logistic regression analysis was employed to evaluate associated factors.
Main Results:
- Significant risk factors for infant death from congenital anomalies included: history of cesarean delivery, advanced maternal age, urban living, maternal smoking during pregnancy, consanguineous marriage, and low birth weight.
- Specific odds ratios and confidence intervals were reported for each identified factor.
Conclusions:
- Identifying risk factors for congenital anomalies is vital for reducing neonatal complications and healthcare costs.
- Genetic counseling, educational programs for high-risk women, and prenatal screening are essential for prevention.
Background:
Congenital anomalies are one of the major public health problems and one of the leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity. We aimed to investigate some factors associated with infant mortality due to congenital anomalies in several provinces of Iran.
Methods:
This case-control study was conducted on 2199 women referring health centers of nine provinces of Iran 2015-2018. Cases were defined as mothers with infant death due to congenital anomalies, and control group comprised of mothers with live birth or infant deaths due to other causes (n=1986). The descriptive data were expressed as percentage and frequency. Factors associated with infant death due to congenital anomalies were evaluated and analyzed at 95% confidence level by logistic regression analysis.
Results:
The multiple logistic regression analysis reveal that history of cesarean delivery [OR:2.13 ;95%CI (1.58-2.87)], maternal age [OR:1.94 ;95%CI (1.31-2.86)])], area of living [OR: 1.69;95%CI (1.22-2.33)], maternal smoking during pregnancy [OR: 1.41; 95%CI (1.02-1.95)], consanguineous marriage [OR:1.53;95%CI (1.12-2.08)], also low birth weight [OR: 3.09; 95%CI (2.23-4.30)] were significantly associated with infant death due to congenital anomalies.
Conclusion:
Identification of factors associated with congenital anomalies has been shown to reduce treatment costs and medical complications of neonates. Therefore, genetic counseling and educational programs for high-risk women, and prenatal screening are essential to identify and prevent factors contributing to congenital abnormalities.
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