A retrospective study of congenital anomalies and associated risk factors among children admitted at a tertiary hospital in northwestern Tanzania
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19594150 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Wango Chaulo (Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, corresponding author), Elias C Nyanza (0000-0002-8358-7358, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, corresponding author), Moses Asori (0000-0002-1438-4020, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, corresponding author), Deborah S K Thomas (0000-0002-9594-9790, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, corresponding author), Florentina Mashuda (Bugando Medical Centre, corresponding author) |
| Editors | Julia Loyola Ferreira |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | e0003177 |
| Publication date | 2024-05-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | PLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375 |
| Publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003177 |
| PMID | 38691565 |
| OpenAlex | W4396542769 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 21 |
Congenital anomalies in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) are understudied despite the significant pediatric health burden. This retrospective longitudinal hospital-based study evaluated the records of 326 inpatient children under the age of two years with congenital anomalies at Bugando Medical Centre, a tertiary referral hospital in northwestern Tanzania. Classical logistic regression was used in the analysis of congenital malformation of muscles, gastrointestinal malformation, oral facial clefts, neural tube defects, and skeletal malformations. A modified poisson regression was used to model risk factors for Central Nervous System (CNS) hydrocephalus and congenital heart disease (CHD). A majority (78.8%) of children included in the study were less than six months of age. Nearly half (48.8%) were diagnosed with CHD followed by CNS hydrocephalus (10.4%) and congenital malformation of muscles (8.9%). Babies whose mothers missed periconceptual folic acid supplementation had 83% higher risk of hydrocephalus (aPR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.11–1.96) and 78% higher for CHD (aPR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.31–1.94). Male children had 1.67 higher odds of muscular congenital malformations (aOR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.23–1.89). Less than 37 gestational age had a 1.86 higher odds of muscular congenital malformations (aOR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.53–3.66). Our study highlights the critical need for folic acid supplementation and establishes a need for a registry and the potential for mapping
Ethnology · Family medicine · Retrospective cohort study · Tanzania · Tertiary care · Tertiary level · Cleft Lip and Palate Research · Congenital Anomalies and Fetal Surgery · Esophageal and GI Pathology · History · Medicine · Psychology · Pediatrics · Surgery
| Highly cited | No |
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