Factors associated with congenital malformations in live births

Cristine Bonfim, pesquisadora, Fundação Joaquim Nabuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil.

The study  “Prevalence and factors associated with congenital malformations in live births” was published in the Acta Paulista de Enfermagem (volume 34) journal with the objective of estimating the prevalence of congenital malformations and identifying the associated factors in live births. The article showed an increase in the occurrence and proportion of live births with congenital malformation.

In relation to associated factors, the following were identified: low birth weight, unsatisfactory Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes, single pregnancy, number of antenatal consultations below six, prematurity and type of delivery. This result on the prevalence and factors associated with congenital malformations can contribute to the planning of maternal and child health actions, improvement of diagnostic methods and specialized monitoring with measures that improve quality of life, increase survival and reduce child mortality.

Image: Canva.

A cross-sectional observational epidemiological study was conducted using data from live births with congenital malformations of mothers residing in Recife (PE) between 2001 and 2015. The data source was the Live Births Information System (Portuguese acronym: Sinasc). The prevalence of congenital malformations per year and the average prevalence rate for the analyzed period were calculated. A bivariate statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test to identify associations between the study variables and the target event, which in this case was the presence or absence of congenital malformations in live births. Subsequently, a multiple logistic regression model was adjusted, calculating the odds ratio (OR) for each factor studied, allowing an understanding of which factor can be considered as risk or protection.

To read the article, acess

GONÇALVES, M. K. S., et al.  Fatores associados às malformações congênitas em nascidos vivos Acta paul. enferm. [online].  2021, vol.34 [viewed 19 April 2021]. http://dx.doi.org/10.37689/acta-ape/2021AO00852. Available from: http://ref.scielo.org/rkq6zy

External links

Acta Paulista de Enfermagem – APE: https://www.scielo.br/ape