Are congenital malformations associated with maternal sociodemographic and risk factors? A multicenter ultrasound-based study.

Objective: Congenital malformations (CM) are structural defects of the human body that arise during development. They significantly impact neonatal outcomes such as morbidity and mortality, hence identification of risk factors and their reduction is vital to improve materno-fetal outcomes. In Karachi, Pakistan, there is insufficient data on the incidence of congenital malformations. Therefore, it is necessary to initiate a prospective case control study. The desired objective was to determine the association of congenital malformations with sociodemographic and maternal risk factors in different ethnicities. Methods: This multi-center case control study spanned over a duration of six months (December 2022 - May 2023) and included women ranging from 18-45 years using purposive sampling technique. It was conducted at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center and Tanveer Ultrasound Clinic. Sample of 120 participants fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in this study after purposive sampling. Sonoscape S22 ultrasound system and Toshiba Aplio 500 ultrasound system were used to detect congenital malformations. Results: Participants were divided into five groups based on ethnicity. Most of the congenital anomalies of the central nervous system were seen in Urdu-speaking group with a p-value = 0.016. An association between maternal age, education level, family income and medications with congenital malformations in fetuses was observed with p-values of 0.003, 0.000, 0.024 and 0.000 respectively. Conclusion: It was evident that various maternal sociodemographic and risk factors play a significant role in the development of congenital anomalies.