ArticleJournal of epidemiology and global health2026
Uncovering the hidden burden of congenital anomalies in Ecuador: a national integrated analysis of hospital discharges, mortality records, and live birth statistics (2012-2024).
Article in Journal of epidemiology and global health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundCongenital anomalies (CA), ICD-10 Q00-Q99 codes, are major causes of infant morbidity and mortality, but national assessments remain limited in countries without integrated birth defect surveillance. This study characterized hospital burden, mortality, and epidemiological patterns of CA among infants in Ecuador.
methodsA retrospective descriptive analysis of national administrative records was conducted using data from the INEC. Hospital discharge records covered 2012-2024, while mortality records and live birth statistics were incorporated according to availability. Analyses were restricted to infants under 1 year of age. Descriptive statistics, graphical assessment of temporal patterns, non-parametric comparison between periods, and correlation analyses were applied.
resultsOverall, 43,134 hospital discharge events associated with CA were recorded, with a mean annual count of 3,318. Separately, in the code-level analysis of the 50 most frequent ICD-10 diagnostic codes, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and genitourinary categories accounted for the largest aggregated counts. Hospital discharges decreased significantly during the pandemic/post-pandemic period compared with 2012-2019 (-21.8%, p = 0.0015). Mortality indicators varied across conditions, with higher death-to-discharge ratios in selected cardiac, valve, pulmonary, and body wall anomalies. Hospital discharge rates ranged from 10.67 to 13.18 per 1,000 live births during 2021-2024. Mortality rates ranged from 1.38 to 1.47 per 1,000 live births; however, only 2021 and 2024 mortality values were observed, whereas 2022 and 2023 were interpolated. A moderate correlation was observed between hospital discharges and deaths (r ≈ 0.48).
conclusionCA impose a substantial burden on infant health services in Ecuador. Integrating hospital discharge, mortality, and live birth data revealed complementary but non-equivalent dimensions of burden, supporting stronger surveillance, improved data linkage, and timely referral pathways for high-risk conditions.
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