Maternal factors associated with severity of birth defects

Objective: Due to inbreeding and nutritional factors, the Bedouin Arabs rep resent a high risk population for birth defects. The severity of birth defe cts is probably related to the time and extent of interference with embryog enesis. The present study was aimed at identifying factors associated with severity of birth defects, in pregnancies of Bedouin women examined at a th ird level ultrasound clinic. Methods: The study population consisted of 295 Bedouin women who attended an ultrasound clinic at the Soroka Medical Cent er between 1990 and 1996. The case group included 188 women carrying fetuse s with severe birth defects, defined as incompatible with life or which sig nificantly interfere with normal living. For those defects the option of pr egnancy termination was discussed. The comparison group consisted of 107 wo men whose fetuses were diagnosed with mild defects. Results: Women carrying fetuses with severe birth defects had more pregnancies and more deliveries than women carrying fetuses with mild defects (P = 0.005, P = 0.04, respec tively). The severity of defects was found to be unrelated to maternal age, consanguinity, residence, birth order, previously uncompleted pregnancies and birth defects in the family. Conclusions: Higher birth order was associ ated with severity of birth defects detected at the second trimester. (C) 1 999 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.