Role of dietary habits on fetal anomaly development: review of 315 consecutive fetal anomaly cases.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate and speculate on the dietary habits and certain environmental factors of the Southeast Anatolia region which are thought to be related with fetal anomaly development.


METHODS
Patients admitted to Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology Department with fetal anomalies between January 2003 and June 2007 were evaluated. Three hundred and fifteen patients with intrauterine fetal anomaly were detected. The number of total deliveries during this period were 7,554. Twenty-eight of the patients were above the age of 35. According to the history of patient, mean gravidity was 6.6 (1-13), consanguineous marriage rate was 25%, previous abnormal rate was 15%, and previous missed abortion was 35%. Eighty-eight percent of patients were of low sociocultural status. The frequency of daily dietary habits, especially tea consumption, red chili pepper consumption and eating barbecued meat were questioned with the anamnesis.


RESULTS
Total fetal anomaly incidence was found to be 4.17%, neural tube defects 1.37%, renal anomalies 0.54%, non-immune fetal hydrops 0.46%, cystic hygroma 0.39%, central nervous system anomalies 0.36%, chromosomal anomalies 0.17%, gastrointestinal system anomalies 0.147%, sacrococcygeal teratoma 0.12%, cardiac anomalies 0.09%, and respiratory system anomalies 0.049%. Mean daily tea comsumption during pregnancy was 8 cups/day. Mean frequency of eating barbecued meat was 4 times/week. Mean chili pepper consumption was 10 g/day.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, four times higher overall fetal anomaly incidence appeared to be strongly correlated with Southeast Anatolia region's dietary habits. In the future monitoring women's dietary habits should have an important role in the prevention of fetal anomaly development.
Cebesoy
F B
FB
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey. fbcebesoy@yahoo.com
Balat
O
O
Dikensoy
E
E
Ugur
M G
MG
Kutlar
I
I
Kalayci
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult