Birth defects in a rural province in Papua New Guinea.

BACKGROUND

Globally, birth defects are the fourth most common cause of neonatal mortality. They cause substantial morbidity, and often long-term disability. Despite this, the impact of birth defects on public health has received little attention in low- and middle-income countries.

AIMS

To report the types, incidence and geographic distribution of birth defects in the East New Britain Province of Papua New Guinea.

METHODS

Data were collected over 3 years on newborns with birth defects seen at Rabaul Hospital, born anywhere in the province. Each affected newborn was examined, the anomaly diagnosed and classified. The exact home location was recorded to understand geospatial distribution. To calculate incidence, data were collected on all newborns with a congenital anomaly in a cohort of 2000 consecutive live births at Rabaul Hospital in 2019.

RESULTS

Over 3 years, 2018-2020, 137 newborns with birth defects were identified, born in any part of the province. Congenital heart defects, hydrocephalus, microcephaly, craniofacial anomalies, imperforate anus, trachea-oesophageal fistula and diaphragmatic hernia were the most common anomalies. Eight cases of Down syndrome and other chromosomal anomalies were identified. The incidence in 2019 was 14 per 1000 live births. Geographic mapping showed the highest number of cases in the region on the Gazelle Peninsula, the area around the active volcanos.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insights into the incidence and types of birth defects in a rural island province and showed it was possible to map geospatial distribution to further explore epidemiology.

Informations de copyright

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Competing interests: None declared.