ArticlePloS one2022
Prevalence of neural tube defects at Debre Berhan Referral Hospital, North Shewa, Ethiopia. A hospital based retrospective cross-section study.
Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Birth prevalence and determinants of neural tube defects among newborns in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Birth prevalence and risk factors of neural tube defects in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2023Pooled it
- Morphological Variants and Factors Associated With Neural Tube Defects at a Regional Referral Hospital.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Appraising spina bifida care in Africa: Challenges, implications, and progress - A perspective review.Journal of public health research · 2026Review
- The burden of neural tube defects in Southern Ethiopia: trends, hotspots, and public health implications.PeerJ · 2026Article
- The Effect of Pantoprazole on Midline Closure in Early Chicken Embryos: An Experimental Study.Cureus · 2025Article
- Neural tube defect among newborns in public hospitals of Tigray region, northern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.PloS one · 2025Article
- Article
- Burden of Neural Tube Defects and Their Associated Factors in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of pediatrics · 2023Review
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNeural tube defect (NTD) is a structural defect of the central nervous system of the developing embryo during the first month of developmental process. Most congenital malformations are potentially preventable cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Worldwide, around 10% of infant mortalities are due to nervous system defects. In Ethiopia there are limited published data regarding the prevalence and established preventive strategy of NTDs. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of NTDs among pregnancy outcomes in Debre Berhan Referral Hospital (DBRH), Ethiopia.
methodsHospital based retrospective cross sectional, descriptive study was conducted on registration of all pregnancy outcomes from August 30, 2017 to August 30, 2019 at DBRH, Ethiopia. The collected data were checked for completeness and consistencies, and cleaned, coded and entered using Epi data version 4.2 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20 for analysis. Variables were interpreted per 1000 pregnancies and those variables having p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
resultsThe total prevalence of NTDs was 10.9 (95% CI 8.9 to 13.3) per 1000 pregnancies and the prevalence of each NTD type was anencephaly 5.6 (95% CI 4.2 to 7.4) per 1000 pregnancies, spina bifida 3.5 (95% CI 2.4 to 4.9) per 1000 pregnancies, encephalocele 1.1 (95% CI 0.6 to 2.0) per 1000 pregnancies, and both spina bifida and anencephaly 0.7(95% CI 0.3 to 1.4) per 1000 pregnancies. Among livebirths, aborted, stillbirths and medically terminated pregnancies (n = 8862), there were 50 anencephaly cases, 31 spina bifida cases, 10 encephalocele cases, and 6 cases affected by both spina bifida and anencephaly.
conclusionThe prevalence of NTDs in this study was among the highest globally reported. The total prevalence was 10.9 per 1000 pregnancies. Increased periconceptional folic acid use, counseling for women with certain medical illnesses at higher risk for NTDs, and early maternal screening for genetic factors are possible approaches to reduce in NTDs in the population.
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