Congenital Anomaly Prevalence: A 10-Year Retrospective Study in a Tertiary Hospital in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: Congenital anomalies (CA) are health problems that can significantly affect individuals, families, health systems, and society. Our aim is to present the characteristics of CA observed in babies born at our institution between 2014 and 2023, including the Covid-19 pandemic period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective data obtained from the delivery room records and hospital information system of Pamukkale University Hospital were analyzed. RESULTS: During the 10-year period covered by our study at our institution, 16,030 births occurred, and 941 (5.87%) newborns were diagnosed with CA. The most common anomalies were cardiovascular system (CVS) (42%), other congenital malformations (5%), musculoskeletal system (4%), and central nervous system (CNS) anomalies (7%). Two hundred twenty-nine newborns (24%) were found to have multiple congenital anomalies. The prevalence of CA was higher in 2020, 2021, and 2022 (during the COVID-19 pandemic) compared to other years. The mortality rate among newborns with CA was 21.25%. Of the CA babies who died, 37.5% had CVS, 30% had multiple anomalies, and 9% had CNS anomalies. The mortality rate due to congenital anomalies, based on the total number of births in our hospital, was 1.25%. CONCLUSION: We found that the mortality rate among newborns with CA was 21.25% and that the incidence of anomalies increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multidisciplinary efforts are required to provide parents with the necessary information during pregnancy and the prepregnancy planning period. It is crucial to examine the prevalence of CA during the Covid-19 pandemic period in other regional studies and to evaluate the impact of such epidemics on anomalies.