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Banu T, Sharma S, Chowdhury TK, Aziz TT, Martin B, Seyi-Olajide JO, Ameh E, Ozgediz D, Lakhoo K, Bickler SW, Meara JG, Bundy D, Jamison DT, Klazura G, Sykes A, Yap A, Philipo GS. Surgically Correctable Congenital Anomalies: Reducing Morbidity and Mortality in the First 8000 Days of Life. World J Surg 2023; 47:3408-3418. [PMID: 37311874 DOI: 10.1007/s00268-023-07087-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Congenital anomalies are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We aimed to review the common surgically correctable congenital anomalies with recent updates on the global disease burden and identify the factors affecting morbidity and mortality. METHOD A literature review was done to assess the burden of surgical congenital anomalies with emphasis on those that present within the first 8000 days of life. The various patterns of diseases were analyzed in both low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and high-income countries (HIC). RESULTS Surgical problems such as digestive congenital anomalies, congenital heart disease and neural tube defects are now seen more frequently. The burden of disease weighs more heavily on LMIC. Cleft lip and palate has gained attention and appropriate treatment within many countries, and its care has been strengthened by global surgical partnerships. Antenatal scans and timely diagnosis are important factors affecting morbidity and mortality. The frequency of pregnancy termination following prenatal diagnosis of a congenital anomaly is lower in many LMIC than in HIC. CONCLUSION Congenital heart disease and neural tube defects are the most common congenital surgical diseases; however, easily treatable gastrointestinal anomalies are underdiagnosed due to the invisible nature of the condition. Current healthcare systems in most LMICs are still unprepared to tackle the burden of disease caused by congenital anomalies. Increased investment in surgical services is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahmina Banu
- Chittagong Research Institute for Children Surgery (CRICS), Panchlaish, Chittagong, 4203, Bangladesh.
| | - Shilpa Sharma
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Tanvir Kabir Chowdhury
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Chittagong Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Tasmiah Tahera Aziz
- Chittagong Research Institute for Children Surgery (CRICS), Panchlaish, Chittagong, 4203, Bangladesh
| | - Benjamin Martin
- Department of Paediatric Surgery and Urology, Bristol Children's Hospital, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Emmanuel Ameh
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Doruk Ozgediz
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kokila Lakhoo
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen W Bickler
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive #0739, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0739, USA
| | - John G Meara
- Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Donald Bundy
- Global Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Dean T Jamison
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Greg Klazura
- Loyola University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alicia Sykes
- Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ava Yap
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Observed birth prevalence of congenital anomalies among live births at a regional facility in KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255456. [PMID: 34343223 PMCID: PMC8330889 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital disorders (CDs), defined as abnormalities in structure or function present at birth, are an important contributor to the disease burden in developing countries. The size and extent of the problem in South Africa (SA) are unknown due to the lack of recent, reliable, observed data on CDs. To address this empirical data gap, this study aimed to measure the birth prevalence of congenital anomalies (a sub-set of CDs) and to describe the pattern of these anomalies at a regional hospital in KwaZulu Natal (KZN), SA. A retrospective, observational, descriptive review of congenital anomalies diagnosed within the neonatal service at Edendale Hospital (EDH), KZN was undertaken between January and December 2018. All EDH in-house live births diagnosed and notified with congenital anomalies by discharge were included. Stillbirths, other pregnancy losses and out-born neonates were excluded. Data were actively collected from the birth register, neonatal admission register, and the individual paper-based surveillance tool developed by the National Department of Health. The in-facility birth prevalence rate for congenital anomalies was 15.57 per 1 000 live births. The most observed system was musculoskeletal (32%) followed by circulatory system anomalies (19%). When the observed birth prevalence rates of key congenital anomalies were compared with previously published, modelled South African data, no significant difference was found. This study responds to the paucity of birth prevalence data on CDs overall and offers evidence that obvious, structural CDs (congenital anomalies) need to be addressed in the SA public health system.
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Malherbe HL, Aldous C, Christianson AL, Darlison MW, Modell B. Modelled epidemiological data for selected congenital disorders in South Africa. J Community Genet 2021; 12:357-376. [PMID: 33674966 PMCID: PMC8241974 DOI: 10.1007/s12687-021-00513-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital disorders (CD) remain an unprioritized health care issue in South Africa with national surveillance underreporting by > 95%. This lack of empiric data contributes to an underestimation of the CD disease burden, resulting in a lack of services for those affected. Modelling offers estimated figures for policymakers to plan services until surveillance is improved. This study applied the Modell Global Database (MGDb) method to quantify the South African CD disease burden in 2012. The MGDb combines birth prevalence data from well-established registries with local demographic data to generate national baseline estimates (birth prevalence and outcomes) for specific early-onset, endogenous CDs. The MGBd was adapted with local South African demographic data to generate baseline (no care) and current care national and provincial estimates for a sub-set of early-onset endogenous CDs. Access to care/impact of interventions was quantified using the infant mortality rate as proxy. With available care in 2012, baseline birth prevalence (27.56 per 1000 live births, n = 32,190) decreased by 7% with 2130 less affected births, with 5400 (17%) less under-5 CD-related deaths and 3530 (11%) more survivors at 5 years, including 4720 (15%) effectively cured and 1190 (4%) less living with disability. Results indicate a higher proportion of CD-affected births than currently indicated by national surveillance. By offering evidence-based estimates, the MGDb may be considered a tool for policymakers until accurate empiric data becomes available. Further work is needed on key CD groups and costing of specific interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen L Malherbe
- KwaZulu Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa.
| | - Colleen Aldous
- College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Arnold L Christianson
- Wits Centre for Ethics (WiCE), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Matthew W Darlison
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Genetics, Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
| | - Bernadette Modell
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Genetics, Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
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Haemoglobin disorders-a point of entry for community genetics services in India? J Community Genet 2019; 11:7-9. [PMID: 31811591 DOI: 10.1007/s12687-019-00441-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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Thong MK. Achieving the targets of sustainable development goals (2030 agenda) for congenital disorders in Asia: Bottlenecks and interventions. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS PART C-SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2019; 181:254-261. [PMID: 30801969 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in November 2015 which included a set of 17 measurable "sustainable development goals" (SDGs). The SDGs included targets to end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age by 2030, universal health care coverage, reduction of premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) by 33% as well as support the development and research for medicines for both communicable and NCDs. Although some successes were achieved in combating communicable diseases and improved childhood mortality rates, health systems in Asia are generally characterized by lack of accurate epidemiological information on congenital disorders, lack of human and financial resources, and inadequate focus on public health strategies to ensure targeted interventions, low level knowledge on congenital disorders amongst the community and healthcare providers and the ethical dilemma of managing rare congenital disorders in an environment of low national health expenditures. These bottlenecks must be addressed systematically and interventions such as the use of innovative epidemiological tools to overcome lack of data, increased efforts to standardize rare disease nomenclature and classification and renewed interest in birth defects registries by countries in the region must be considered. Targeted curative and public health approaches currently used in thalassaemia and neural tube defects may be used for other congenital disorders in Asian countries. The implementation of congenital disorders-related research, prevention, care, and treatment delivery services must be integrated into existing health systems in order to be effective to achieve the targets of SDG2030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meow-Keong Thong
- Genetics and Metabolism Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Moorthie S, Blencowe H, Darlison MW, Gibbons S, Lawn JE, Mastroiacovo P, Morris JK, Modell B. Chromosomal disorders: estimating baseline birth prevalence and pregnancy outcomes worldwide. J Community Genet 2018; 9:377-386. [PMID: 28948513 PMCID: PMC6167258 DOI: 10.1007/s12687-017-0336-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal disorders, of which Down syndrome is the most common, can cause multi-domain disability. In addition, compared to the general population, there is a higher frequency of death before the age of five. In many settings, large gaps in data availability have hampered policy-making, programme priorities and resource allocation for these important conditions. We have developed methods, which overcome this lack of data and allow estimation of the burden of affected pregnancies and their outcomes in different settings worldwide. For example, the methods include a simple equation relating the percentage of mothers 35 and over to Down syndrome birth prevalence. The results obtained provide a starting point for consideration of services that can be implemented for the care and prevention of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah Blencowe
- Centre for Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive, and Child Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Matthew W Darlison
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Genetics, Centre for Health Informatics and Multiprofessional Education (CHIME), University College London, London, UK.
| | - Stephen Gibbons
- Department of Geography and Environment, London School of Economics, London, UK
| | - Joy E Lawn
- Centre for Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive, and Child Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Pierpaolo Mastroiacovo
- Coordinating Centre of the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Joan K Morris
- Centre for Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Bernadette Modell
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Genetics, Centre for Health Informatics and Multiprofessional Education (CHIME), University College London, London, UK
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Moorthie S, Blencowe H, Darlison MW, Lawn J, Morris JK, Modell B, Bittles AH, Blencowe H, Christianson A, Cousens S, Darlison MW, Gibbons S, Hamamy H, Khoshnood B, Howson CP, Lawn J, Mastroiacovo P, Modell B, Moorthie S, Morris JK, Mossey PA, Neville AJ, Petrou M, Povey S, Rankin J, Schuler-Faccini L, Wren C, Yunnis KA. Estimating the birth prevalence and pregnancy outcomes of congenital malformations worldwide. J Community Genet 2018; 9:387-396. [PMID: 30218347 PMCID: PMC6167261 DOI: 10.1007/s12687-018-0384-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital anomaly registries have two main surveillance aims: firstly to define baseline epidemiology of important congenital anomalies to facilitate programme, policy and resource planning, and secondly to identify clusters of cases and any other epidemiological changes that could give early warning of environmental or infectious hazards. However, setting up a sustainable registry and surveillance system is resource-intensive requiring national infrastructure for recording all cases and diagnostic facilities to identify those malformations that that are not externally visible. Consequently, not all countries have yet established robust surveillance systems. For these countries, methods are needed to generate estimates of prevalence of these disorders which can act as a starting point for assessing disease burden and service implications. Here, we describe how registry data from high-income settings can be used for generating reference rates that can be used as provisional estimates for countries with little or no observational data on non-syndromic congenital malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah Blencowe
- Centre for Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive, and Child Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Matthew W Darlison
- Centre for Health Informatics and Multiprofessional Education (CHIME), University College London, London, UK.
| | - Joy Lawn
- Centre for Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive, and Child Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Joan K Morris
- Centre for Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Bernadette Modell
- Centre for Health Informatics and Multiprofessional Education (CHIME), University College London, London, UK
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Blencowe H, Moorthie S, Petrou M, Hamamy H, Povey S, Bittles A, Gibbons S, Darlison M, Modell B. Rare single gene disorders: estimating baseline prevalence and outcomes worldwide. J Community Genet 2018; 9:397-406. [PMID: 30109643 PMCID: PMC6167259 DOI: 10.1007/s12687-018-0376-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
As child mortality rates overall are decreasing, non-communicable conditions, such as genetic disorders, constitute an increasing proportion of child mortality, morbidity and disability. To date, policy and public health programmes have focused on common genetic disorders. Rare single gene disorders are an important source of morbidity and premature mortality for affected families. When considered collectively, they account for an important public health burden, which is frequently under-recognised. To document the collective frequency and health burden of rare single gene disorders, it is necessary to aggregate them into large manageable groupings and take account of their family implications, effective interventions and service needs. Here, we present an approach to estimate the burden of these conditions up to 5 years of age in settings without empirical data. This approaches uses population-level demographic data, combined with assumptions based on empirical data from settings with data available, to provide population-level estimates which programmes and policy-makers when planning services can use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Blencowe
- Centre for Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive, and Child Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Mary Petrou
- Institute of Women's Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Hanan Hamamy
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sue Povey
- University College London, London, UK
| | - Alan Bittles
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.,Centre for Comparative Genomics, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
| | - Stephen Gibbons
- Department of Geography and Environment, London School of Economics, London, UK
| | - Matthew Darlison
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Genetics, Centre for Health Informatics and Multi-professional Education (CHIME), University College London, London, UK.
| | - Bernadette Modell
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Genetics, Centre for Health Informatics and Multi-professional Education (CHIME), University College London, London, UK
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Thong MK, See-Toh Y, Hassan J, Ali J. Medical genetics in developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region: challenges and opportunities. Genet Med 2018; 20:1114-1121. [DOI: 10.1038/s41436-018-0135-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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