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The Plunket National Child Health Study: birth defects and sociodemographic factors

P G Tuohy1, A M Counsell, D C Geddis

  • 1Royal New Zealand Plunket Society, Dunedin.

The New Zealand Medical Journal
|November 24, 1993
PubMed

Insights

The Plunket National Child Health Study found a 4.3% birth defect prevalence, significantly linked to socioeconomic status. Maternal smoking did not impact birth defect rates in this New Zealand cohort.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The Plunket National Child Health Study aimed to assess New Zealand children's health experiences.
  • Previous research on birth defect prevalence lacked comprehensive sociodemographic analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between birth defects and sociodemographic factors in New Zealand infants.
  • To examine the influence of maternal smoking on birth defect prevalence.
  • To compare birth defect rates in infants at 6 weeks with reported birth prevalence.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 4286 children born in New Zealand between 1990-1991 was studied.
  • Birth defects were identified through clinical examination and referral reviews.
  • Defects were coded using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9).

Main Results:

  • The overall prevalence of birth defects was 4.3%.
  • A significant association was found between socioeconomic status and birth defect incidence.
  • No statistically significant effect of maternal smoking on birth defect rates was observed.
  • Marked differences were noted between Plunket study defect rates and Health Department notifications.

Conclusions:

  • Clarification of criteria for congenital anomaly notification is recommended.
  • A second notification at six weeks of age is suggested to improve data accuracy.
Abstract

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