DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i10.025

Pages: 3676-3680

The study was aimed to find out the overall incidence of birth defects in newborns from 21 weeks gestation onwards and to study their patterns and distribution; and to study the relation with various maternal risk factors. Newborns of consecutive deliveries were examined at births for the presence of birth defects over a period of one year and system wise classification of birth defects was done. This was a descriptive, cross sectional, hospital based study carried out in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Gauhati medical college and hospital, Guwahati from 1st June, 2015 to 31st May 2016. Both live and stillborns were included in the study. The overall incidence of birth defects was 0.92%. Neural tube defects were the commonest birth defects followed by musculoskeletal system birth defects. The incidence of Birth defects was higher in still born, low birth weight, and preterm babies and among male newborns. Non intake of folic acid, low socioeconomic conditions, anaemia, liquor abnormalities etc were the associated maternal risk factors.