FREQUENCY OF CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS IN THE FOURTH LEVEL NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: 4 YEAR-EXPERIENCE

Objective: Congenital malformations (CM) constitute one of the most important causes of neonatal and childhood deaths, chronic diseases and morbidity. This
study aimed to identify CM, determine their frequency and investigate the factors that may be effective in etiology in patients treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit(NICU) of Necmettin Erbakan University University Medicine Hospital.
Materials and Methods: The files of 4860 patients hospitalized in the NICU between October 1, 2017 and October 15, 2021 were retrospectively reviewed.
Results: A total of 4860 patients were investigated within the scope of the study, and CM were detected in 423 cases. When the distribution of malformations
according to gestational age was examined, 55% of all malformations were seen in term babies. When the distribution according to maternal age was examined, it
was seen that the majority were born to mothers under 35 years of age(80%). The frequency of CM was found to be 8.7%. When the distribution of malformations
according to organ systems was examined, the most frequently affected system was the cardiovascular system(24.3%). This was followed by anomalies ofthe central
nervous system(23.4%), genitourinary(18.2%), gastrointestinal(13.2%), head-neck-face(9.9%), respiratory(6.6%) and musculoskeletal(4.3%). The most common
isolated anomaly was hydronephrosis(13.2%). The presence of genitourinary system malformations in babies of pregnant women who had urinary tract infections,
the occurrence of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal anomalies in preterm babies, and the high mortality rate due to respiratory malformations were among the
prominent findings of the study. Death occurred for various reasons during nıcu hospitalization in 13% of the cases. The most common anomalies among the babies
who died were cardiovascular system anomalies(31%).
Conclusion: Determining the frequency of CM and determining the factors that may be effective in etiology in general and taking precautions accordingly will play
an important role in both reducing morbidity and mortality and increasing the socioeconomic welfare of societies.