Maternal obesity predict isolated birth defects in live births in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective: There is no research on the predictors of birth defects in Al Ahsa Governorate in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The aim of this research was to detect the predictors of isolated structural birth defects in live births. Methods: We conducted this study from April 2006 to 2010. Live births with isolated birth defects represented our sample for this retrospective case control study. Univariate analysis was done for all possible risk factors. Logistic regression analysis was done for all predictors in relation to different birth defects. Results: Out of 37168 live births, isolated structural birth defects were found in 318 cases. Obesity ( body mass index > 30) was a significant predictor for increased nervous system anomalies ( odds ratio (OR): 7.83, CI: 3.9–15.4), facial defects (OR: 5.92, CI: 2.8–12.4), genitourinary anomalies (OR: 4.6 CI: 1.9–11.1), and cardiac malformations (OR: 2.7 CI: 1.3–5.7). Consanguinity increased the risk for cardiac malformations (OR: 3.32, CI: 1.54–7.17). Low socio-economic status increased the risk for nervous system anomalies (OR: 2.09, CI: 1.18–3.7), facial defects (OR: 2.33, CI: 1.25–4.33) and musculoskeletal anomalies (OR: 2.3, CI: 1.29–4.09). Conclusion: Maternal obesity represented the most common predictor for certain categories of isolated structural birth defects including nervous system, facial, genitourinary and cardiac.

Keywords::

• Structural birth defects
• obesity
• Al-Ahsa
• Saudi Arabia

Acknowledgements

All thanks are to the Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology Unit for their help and efforts in serving the local community and allowing collection of the data. Special thanks to the MCH filing unit for nice documentation and help. The authors also thank the students, Talal Al Makhlafy, Tarek Al Yahia for organizing the data collection.

Declaration of Interest: The authors approved that no conflict of interest was present. No source of funding. The authors have jointly done this article and revising it critically for important intellectual content; and finally approved this version to be published.

Annexure:  All recorded structural birth defects according to ICD-10 classification (Q00-Q90) and before regrouping.