[Major and multiple birth defects in newborns of women attended in a tertiary care hospital].

Objective: To identify the frequency and type of major and multiple birth defects in live newborns of pregnant women attending at a tertiary care hospital.

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out during one year. There were included pregnant women who delivered neonates with a single major birth defect, or three minor birth defects, or one single major birth defect with two minor birth defects. A control group matched for sex without birth defects was included. We registered data of the mother, pregnant, newborn outcome and perinatal deaths caused by birth defects.

Results: Overall 17,546 pregnant women were included. There were 98 live newborns with birth defects (5.5 per 1000 live newborns). The most frequent birth defects were heart diseases (15.3%), gastrointestinal malformations (14.2%) and specific genetic syndromes (13.2%). Ten (13.2%) perinatal deaths were registered caused by birth defects. There were no difference between the groups in relation to maternal age, occupation, administered medications and number of appointments in antenatal care. Thirteen birth defects were diagnosed antenatal by ultrasound scanning.

Conclusion: Since the repercussion of birth defects in the families and in hospital centers, it is important the collaborative work of a multidisciplinary team for diagnosing and treating these complications. These actions will contribute to enhance the outcome of the mother and newborn.