Prevalence of Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) In And Around Varanasi Region: Some Observations

Abstract

\n Congenital anomalies are one of the primary causes of infant mortality and disability in the world. Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) are the most typical type of birth defect resulting from the failure of Neural tube closure. In this retrospective hospital-based study, the data of the children affected byneural tube defects (NTDs) were analyzed. Prevalence of Hydrocephalous, Myelomeningocele (MMC), Encephalocele, Lipo MMC, Meningocele, Spina Bifida Occulta among children with more or less than one year of age and their occurrence in males and females was studied. The frequency of occurrence of cases of neural tube defects was significantly less among all the congenital disabilities, i.e., 5% of total cases studied. The prevalence of myelomeningocele, hydrocephalous, and Encephalocele was higher than other types of NTDs. This study concludes that the prevalence of hydrocephalous and myelomeningocele in this area raises a concern to have more research of their etiology.