Congenital malformations in the North-Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo during Civil War.
OBJECTIVE
To report on changes in the incidence of congenital malformations in a context of an ongoing civil conflict.


METHODS
Retrospective study.


METHODS
Centre Médical Evangélique (CME) of Nyankunde, a 250 bed referral hospital, in the North Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the period 1993 to 2001.


METHODS
A total of 8824 babies were delivered alive at our maternity; and 36 of them (0.41%) were born with a clinically diagnosed congenital malformations.


RESULTS
The breakdown of the observed malformations was as follow: clubbed foot nine, congenital hydrocephalus eight, spina bifida six, cleft lip four, encephalocele two, syndactyly two, imperforated anus two, Anencephaly one, lymphangioma one, bladder exstrophy one. There was a significant increase in the annual incidence of congenital malformations (p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Ongoing civil conflicts or wars ultimately have a negative impact on the incidence of congenital malformations. This is an indirect and multifactorial consequence. We conclude that ongoing civil conflict is a contributing factor to the increasing incidence of congenital malformations seen in the North-Eastern DRC.
Ahuka
O L
OL
Faculty of Medicine, University of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Toko
R M
RM
Omanga
F U
FU
Tshimpanga
B J
BJ
D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014857:Warfare