Prevalence and factors associated with congenital malformations in live births

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of congenital malformations and to identify associated factors in live births. Methods: Cross-sectional study, population-based, with data from the Live Births Information System. A bivariate statistical analysis (Chi-square test) and a multivariate statistical analysis (multiple logistic regression) were performed to evaluate the association between the variables and the outcome (live-births with or without congenital malformations). Results: A total of 346,874 live births were registered, of which 3,473 presented some type of congenital malformation, with an average prevalence of 1.0%. In the multiple analysis, the factors positively associated with prevalence were: duration of pregnancy less than 37 weeks (OR = 1.17), maternal age between 20 and 29 years (OR = 0.893), singleton pregnancy (OR = 1.775), type of delivery (OR – 0.827), and number of prenatal consultations inferior to six (OR = 1.214). Conclusion: The variables pointed out in the study integrated a predictive model that can help in the planning of health services, suggest hypotheses regarding etiological factors, and finance prenatal care actions with attention to the identified factors.