Birth Defects in Gaza: Prevalence, Types, Familiarity and Correlation with Environmental Factors

Awny Naim, Hedaya Al Dalies, Mohammed El Balawi, Eman Salem, Kholud Al Meziny, Raneem Al Shawwa, Roberto Minutolo and Paola Manduca
Additional contact information
Awny Naim: Palestinian Energy Authority, Gaza, Palestine
Hedaya Al Dalies: Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza, Palestine
Mohammed El Balawi: Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza, Palestine
Eman Salem: Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza, Palestine
Kholud Al Meziny: Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza, Palestine
Raneem Al Shawwa: IT consultant, Gaza, Palestine
Roberto Minutolo: Nephrology Department, University of Naples, Via Giovanni Paladino, 80138 Napoli, Italy
Paola Manduca: Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza, Palestine

IJERPH, 2012, vol. 9, issue 5, 1-16

Abstract: This is the first report of registration at birth, and of incidence of major structural birth defects (BD) obtained in Gaza at Al Shifa Hospital, where 28% of total births in Gaza Strip occur. Doctors registered 4,027 deliveries, with a protocol comprehensive of clinical, demographic, kin and environmental questions. Prevalence of BD is 14/1,000, without association with intermarriage or gender of the child. Prevalence of late miscarriages and still births are respectively 23.3/1,000 and 7.4/1,000, and of premature births 19.6/1,000. Couples with a BD child have about 10 times higher frequency of recurrence of a BD in their progeny than those with normal children, but none of their 694 siblings and only 10/1,000 of their 1,423 progeny had BD, similar to the frequency in general population. These data suggest occurrence of novel genetic and epigenetic events in determination of BD. Children with BD were born with higher frequency ( p

Keywords: registration at birth; major structural birth defects; familiarity of birth defects; exposure to war related events; environmental teratogens (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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