Prevalence of Congenital Malformations in Grenada.

Abstract

Objectives To determine the prevalence of congenital malformations in Grenada for the period January 2000-December 2004. Methods The study included neonates diagnosed with congenital malformations as well as those who were part of the Grenada Heart Foundation for the same time period. Patient delivery records from the three government hospitals were reviewed. Parents were contacted and a questionnaire administered to obtain demographic and maternal history related to the birth. Results The prevalence of birth defects was 0.78% (95%CI: 0.61, 0.98) for the five-year period among the 9004 live births. Cardiovascular malformations were the most prevalent (0.32%; 95% CI: 0.22, 0.45%), with abnormalities of the genitourinary system being the least prevalent (0.04%; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.11%). Conclusion The prevalence of congenital malformations in Grenada is low in comparison to other developed and developing countries.