Neural tube defects in the Free State province from 2012 to 2016. Is there an increase?

Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Neural tube defects in the Free State province from 2012 to 2016. Is there an increase?
 
Creator Theron, Nické Joubert, Gina Henderson, Bertram D.
 
Subject — neural tube defects; birth defects; data collection; Free State province; South Africa; antiretroviral treatment
Description Background: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are anomalies of the central nervous system caused by the defective closure of the neural tube during early embryogenesis. A significant decline in the incidence of NTDs after folic acid fortification of food in South Africa was previously shown. Recently, clinical geneticists have voiced concerns that there is a possible resurgence in the number of NTDs.Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of NTDs at a South African Hospital from 2012 to 2016.Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study where all babies with NTDs born in, or referred to Universitas Hospital were included as study participants. Information was collected for both the mother and the baby from hospital records and data forms.Results: Seventy-seven cases of NTDs were captured from 2012 to 2016. The incidence of NTDs was 0.34/1000 births in the Free State province, and 1.21/1000 births if only the data for babies born in Universitas Hospital and Pelonomi Hospital were used. Further analysis showed a male: female ratio of 1:1. Open spina bifida was the most common defect at 71.4%.Conclusion: The incidence of NTDs in the Free State province was low compared to other South African and international studies. The incidence for the metropolitan hospitals is comparable to that of previous studies. This discrepancy is a marker of poor data recording and will impact healthcare planning. A statistically significant increase in NTDs could not be proven.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor The research was funded from the research funds of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of the Free State, and the Division Clinical Genetics, University of the Free State
Date 2020-09-25
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajhivmed.v21i1.1134
 
Source Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine; Vol 21, No 1 (2020); 7 pages 2078-6751 1608-9693
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/1134/2014 https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/1134/2013 https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/1134/2015 https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/1134/2012
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2020 Nické Theron, Gina Joubert, Bertram D. Henderson https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ADVERTISEMENT