A study of perinatal morbidity and mortality in maternity hospitals: III - Congenital anomalies in live briths

Abstract

Congenital anomalies in live births in nine maternities in the period 1981-1982 were studied. This was one aspect of a research project carried out in seven maternities in the State of S.Paulo, one in Rio de Janeiro and another in Florianópolis (Brazil), from which data on all births occurring between August 1981 and July 1982 were obtained. Congenital anomalies were classified according to the XIVth chapter of the CID-1975 - 9thRevision. Chi square for associations and for trend and Berkson's technique for adherence to Poisson's distributions were used for testing hypotheses. In 12,782 live births, 286 (2.24%) had some kind of anomaly, 26 (0.20%) had two, 9 (0.07%) had three and two (0.02%) had four. The most frequent anomaly was "Certain Congenital musculoskeletal deformities" (code 754) with 19%; then "other congenital anomalies of the heart" (code 746), with 14%. Only the prevalence of Down's Syndrome was significant for trend according to the mother's age.