[Frequency and some mortality risk factors in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, due to neural tube closure defects].
OBJECTIVE
To calculate the risk of fetal death due to neural tube defects and estimate associated factors in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico.


METHODS
Data were abstracted from death certificates registered during 1990-1995 in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. The design was a proportional mortality study, which is considered as a variant of the case control design. Cases were deaths with any type of neural tube defect, and controls were fetal deaths due to other causes.


RESULTS
A total of 3,673 fetal death certificates were analyzed; 8.06% had neural tube defects and the remaining died of other causes. Fetal death was associated with fetal weight less than 2500 grams (OR 5.0, 95% CI 3.6-6.8), being female (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.3-2.3), and death during the late fetal period (OR 5.5, 95% CI 3.8-8.1).


CONCLUSIONS
Results show that the risk of fetal death due to neural tube defects is greater among low birth weight babies, females, and during the late fetal period.
Muñoz-Juárez
Sergio
S
Servicios de Salud de Hidalgo, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Pachuca, México. smzjz@hotmail.com
Vargas-Flores
Humberto
H
Hernández-Prado
Bernardo
B
López-Ríos
Olga
O
Ortiz-Espinosa
Rosa María
RM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003644:Death Certificates; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000401:mortality*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors