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Are congenital malformations associated with maternal sociodemographic and risk factors? A multicenter
Jawaria Aslam Awan1, Aisha Qamar2, Ambreen Surti3
1Dr. Jawaria Aslam Awan, BDS, MPhil. Senior Lecturer - Department of Anatomy, Bahria University Health Sciences Campus Karachi (BUHSCK), Karachi, Pakistan.
Insights
Maternal factors like age, education, income, and medication use are linked to congenital malformations (CM). This study highlights key risks for fetal development in Pakistan.
Area of Science:
- Medical Science
- Public Health
- Genetics
Background:
- Congenital malformations (CM) are structural defects impacting neonatal outcomes.
- Limited data exists on CM incidence in Karachi, Pakistan.
- Identifying risk factors is crucial for improving materno-fetal outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the association between congenital malformations and sociodemographic/maternal risk factors.
- To investigate these associations across different ethnicities in Karachi.
- To provide data for risk reduction strategies.
Main Methods:
- A multi-center prospective case control study.
- Included 120 women aged 18-45 years over six months (Dec 2022 - May 2023).
- Utilized ultrasound systems (Sonoscape S22, Toshiba Aplio 500) for CM detection.
Main Results:
- Central nervous system anomalies were most frequent in the Urdu-speaking ethnic group (p=0.016).
- Significant associations found between CM and maternal age (p=0.003), education (p=0.000), family income (p=0.024), and medication use (p=0.000).
Conclusions:
- Maternal sociodemographic factors and specific risk factors significantly influence congenital anomaly development.
- Findings underscore the need for targeted interventions in high-risk populations.
- Further research is warranted to explore underlying mechanisms.
Objective:
Congenital malformations (CM) are structural defects of the human body that arise during development. They significantly impact neonatal outcomes such as morbidity and mortality, hence identification of risk factors and their reduction is vital to improve materno-fetal outcomes. In Karachi, Pakistan, there is insufficient data on the incidence of congenital malformations. Therefore, it is necessary to initiate a prospective case control study. The desired objective was to determine the association of congenital malformations with sociodemographic and maternal risk factors in different ethnicities.
Methods:
This multi-center case control study spanned over a duration of six months (December 2022 - May 2023) and included women ranging from 18-45 years using purposive sampling technique. It was conducted at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center and Tanveer Ultrasound Clinic. Sample of 120 participants fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in this study after purposive sampling. Sonoscape S22 ultrasound system and Toshiba Aplio 500 ultrasound system were used to detect congenital malformations.
Results:
Participants were divided into five groups based on ethnicity. Most of the congenital anomalies of the central nervous system were seen in Urdu-speaking group with a p-value = 0.016. An association between maternal age, education level, family income and medications with congenital malformations in fetuses was observed with p-values of 0.003, 0.000, 0.024 and 0.000 respectively.
Conclusion:
It was evident that various maternal sociodemographic and risk factors play a significant role in the development of congenital anomalies.
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