SynthesisThe Pan African medical journal2020
Prevalence and associated factors of birth defects among newborns in sub-Saharan African countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in The Pan African medical journal, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 51 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence and associated factors of congenital anomalies in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: a systematic review.Frontiers in global women's health · 2024Pooled it
- Birth prevalence and risk factors of neural tube defects in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2023Pooled it
- Clinical epidemiology of easily recognisable congenital malformations in Gambian newborns: a descriptive cohort study embedded in a clinical trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- A Mechanistic Review of Environmental Stressor to Decode Their Effect on Congenital Malformations: A Developmental Toxicity.Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology · 2026Review
- Maternal Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Towards the Prevention of Birth Defects in Eastern Cape, South Africa: A Multi-Level Contextual Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Determinants of congenital anomalies among newborns in public hospitals of Northern Ethiopia: case-control study design.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Prevalence of major structural congenital abnormalities detected on infant surface examination in Botswana, 2014-2022: a birth outcomes surveillance study.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Article
- Long-term outcomes of children born with neural-tube defects in Botswana.BMC pediatrics · 2025Article
- Epidemiological and Histopathological Characteristics of Fetuses with Congenital Disorders: A Study in Greece.Biology · 2025Article
- Spectrum of congenital anomalies detected through anatomy ultrasound at a referral hospital in Ghana.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Predictors of congenital anomalies among neonates admitted to public hospitals in eastern Ethiopia: a case-control study.The Journal of international medical research · 2024Article
- Risk factors of adverse birth outcomes among a cohort of pregnant women in Coastal Kenya, 2017-2019.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Prevalence and risk of occurrence of visible birth defects in mining areas in South Kivu: A hospital-based cross-sectional study.PloS one · 2024Article
- Coverage of Child Disability Detection, Management, and Rehabilitation Health Services in Central Uganda.The East African health research journal · 2024Article
- Congenital Malformations in the Moroccan Surveillance System: Contribution to Prevalence Estimation.Global health, epidemiology and genomics · 2024Article
- Awareness, attitudes towards genetic diseases and acceptability of genetic interventions among pregnant women in Burera district, Rwanda.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Prevalence and Pattern of Birth Defects in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies.Pediatric reports · 2023Review
- Prevalence, Pattern, and Outcome of Congenital Anomalies Admitted to a Neonatal Unit in a Low-Income Country-a Ten-Year Retrospective Study.Maternal and child health journal · 2023Article
- Global, regional, and national incidence and mortality of congenital birth defects from 1990 to 2019.European journal of pediatrics · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionBirth defects are the most serious causes of infant mortality and disability in sub-Saharan African countries with variable magnitude. Hence, this study was aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of birth defects and its associated risk factors among newborn infants in sub-Saharan African countries.
methodsA total of 43 eligible studies were identified through literature search from Medline (PubMed), EMBASE, HINARI, Google scholar, Science Direct, Cochrane Library and other sources. Extracted data were analyzed using STATA 15.0 statistical software. A random effect meta-analysis model was used.
resultsTwenty-five studies in 9 countries showed that the pooled prevalence of birth defects was 20.40 per 1,000 births (95% CI: 17.04, 23.77). In the sub-group analysis, the highest prevalence was observed in southern Africa region with a prevalence of 43 per 1000 (95% CI: 14.89, 71.10). The most prevalent types of birth defects were musculo-skeletal system defects with a pooled prevalence of 3.90 per 1000 (95% CI: 3.11, 4.70) while the least was Down syndrome 0.62 per 1000 (95% CI: 0.40, 0.84). Lack of folic acid supplementation (95% CI: 1.95, 7.88), presence of chronic disease (95% CI: 2.00, 6.07) and intake of drugs (95% CI: 3.88, 14.66) during pregnancy were significantly associated with the birth defects.
conclusionThe prevalence of birth defects is relatively high with high degree of regional variabilities. The most common types of birth defects were musculoskeletal defects. Lack of folic acid supplementation, presence of chronic disease and intake of drugs during pregnancy were significantly associated with birth defects.
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