Dietary Status of Women who Gave Birth with Congenital Anomalies in Bale Zone Hospitals, Southeast Ethiopia

Congenital anomalies (CAs) are structural or functional anomalies that develop during intrauterine life and are present at birth. There has been very little knowledge on various forms of CAs as well as dietary status of women who gave birth with CAs in Southeast Ethiopia. This study, therefore, examined the types of CAs diagnosed at birth as well as the dietary status of women who gave birth with CAs in Southeast Ethiopia.

An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Bale zone hospitals, Southeast Ethiopia. All women who gave birth with any form of CAs were included in the study. All births were examined by either obstetricians or emergency obstetric surgeons. Data were entered into SPSS version 21 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were computed to summarize the data.

In this study, anencephaly (30.9%) and spinal bifida (17.6%) were the most commonly reported form of CAs. A single case of the imperforated anus, minigocephalocele, severe spinal bifida, twin transfusion syndrome, polyhydramnios and the umbilical hernia was also diagnosed during the study period. Nearly half percent (48.5%) of women who gave birth with CAs consumed less than one meal of meat per week, and 33% of women consumed 1-3 meals of fresh vegetables per week during their pregnancy. Furthermore, the reported consumption of folic acid and intake of iron during the current pregnancy was 23.3% (95% CI: 17.2, 33.7) and 47.8% (95% CI: 32.6, 61.9), respectively.

The incidence of CAs in the study area is high. Consumption of a range of vegetables and fruits may reduce the development of Cas; hence, educational interventions that improve women's healthy diet practices must be considered. We also recommend further studies to better understand the relationships between the dietary status of women and the incidence of CAs.