Epidemiological profile of congenital anomalies of the nervous system in the Maranhão, Brazil: 2011–2020

*Correspondence: [e-mail].

Abstract

Background: Congenital anomalies of the nervous system are an important public health problem worldwide, and their prevalence has been increasing in recent decades.

Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of congenital anomalies of the nervous system in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, during the period from 2011 to 2020.

Methods: This is a descriptive, retrospective study based on secondary data collected from the SINASC database. The target population of this study is all live births registered from 2011 to 2020.

Results: A total of 1.126,441 live birth records in SINASC from 2011 to 2020 were analyzed, of which 960 (0.08%) had a diagnosis of congenital anomalies of the central nervous system. Regarding the ethnicity of the mothers, the majority were pardas (mixed race), 752 (78.3%). The most common maternal age group was between 20 and 24 years old. Most mothers had 8 to 11 years of education, 637 (66.3%). The majority of mothers were married or living in a stable union, 551 (57.4%). Most pregnancies were single, 930 (96.8%). The majority of mothers had adequate prenatal care, 354 (36.8%), with the majority of them having between 3 to 6 prenatal visits, 404 (42%). Regarding the newborns, most pregnancies lasted between 37 to 41 weeks, 602 (62.7%) of the cases. The majority of deliveries were by caesarean section, 656 (68.3%). Of the newborns analyzed, 310 (32.3%) had a weight between 3000 and 3999 g, which was the most common weight range at birth.

Conclusion: Thus, it is noted that despite the low prevalence of congenital anomalies of the nervous system, the analysis of the indices surrounding this dilemma is essential for planning public health policies. In addition, it was observed that most of the cases recorded were primigravida mothers, with a higher prevalence in black ethnic mothers. Furthermore, the prevalence of cesarean deliveries compared to vaginal deliveries is noteworthy

Publication History

Article published online:
12 May 2025