Neural tube defects and maternal characteristics in a North Indian Province

Abstract

Background: Neural tube defects (NTD) affect fewer than 2 per 1000 pregnancies, account for a major burden on healthcare globally and have wide geographic prevalence. The present study was carried out with the aim to evaluate the maternal characteristics in cases of babies born with various neural tube defects in a tertiary care centre in Northern India. Methods: This retrospective analytical study was carried out by accessing and analyzing the medical case records of women who delivered babies with neural tube defects between January 2005 to December 2008 in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Pt B D Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India. Results: Sixty seven babies had neural tube defects thus accounting for a NTD prevalence of 2.62/1000 births. Among these, there were 48 cases of anencephaly, 15 cases of meningocele and/or meningomyelocele, 4 cases of spina bifida occulta. Anencephaly was most prevalent in primiparous women of low literacy aged between 21–25 years. Similar trends were visible in meningomyelocele and spina bifida groups. Most women in the study were homemakers with almost equitable distribution in rural and urban areas. No preponderance of any particular blood group was evident for any of the neural tube defects. Conclusion: Neural tube defects affect a substantial number of newborns in India. Lower age and parity, low literary and rural residence are some of the maternal factors associated with increased risk of these disorders. Preventive strategies like periconceptional folic acid supplementation and health education may help reduce the incidence of these conditions even in low resource settings.