Prevalence of Neonatal Complications Among Infants with Structural Birth Defects in Galle Sri Lanka

Abstract

Introduction: Birth defects in children are considered as a significant risk factor of stillbirths, perinatal deaths and neonatal, infant and childhood morbidity and mortality. Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of neonatal complications in infants with non-genetic or non-syndromic structural birth defects (SBD) in Galle, Sri Lanka. Methods: A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out by examining 315 liveborn infants with SBD aged up to six months of age. Neonatal complications were examined using the medical records of the infants. Descriptive statistics were used to present data. Results: The sample consisted of 179 (57%) male infants. One infant had ambiguous genitalia. Fiftysix (17%) infants were born preterm (32-36 weeks: n=40, 71%; 28-31 weeks: n=12, 22%, <27weeks: n=4, 7%). Low birth weight was observed in 102 (32.4%) infants. Cardiovascular defects (n=398, 64%), musculoskeletal defects (n=56, 9%) and central nervous system defects (n=52, 8.4%) were the commonest SBDs.