Neurological congenital malformations in a tertiary hospital in south Brazil.
BACKGROUND
Congenital anomalies are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality among infants. The involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) occurs in 21% of cases.


OBJECTIVE
To identify incidence of CNS malformations and associated factors in newborns at a Terciary Hospital of Porto Alegre.


METHODS
Case-control study conducted between 2000 and 2005 based on the Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations database.


RESULTS
Among 26,588 births registered in this period, 3.67% presented with malformations (IC=95%; 3.44-3.9), being 0.36% of the CNS (IC=95%,(0.29-0.43)). The most common CNS malformation was meningomielocele (10.4%). Young maternal age (p=0.005); low birth weight (p=0.015); large cephalic perimeter (p=0.003); post term birth (p=0.000) and low APGAR indexes at the 1st and 5th minutes were associated with CNS malformations.


CONCLUSIONS
We found an incidence of CNS malformations similar as compared to literature.
Federal University Foundation of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. guardiola@cpovo.net
Ana
A
Guardiola
Vanessa
V
Koltermann
Paula Musa
PM
Aguiar
Sérgio Pilla
SP
Grossi
Valéria
V
Fleck
Elisabeth C
EC
Pereira
Lúcia
L
Pellanda
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009421:Nervous System Malformations / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult