Prevalence and contributing factors of abdominal wall defects among neonates admitted at three selected teaching hospitals in Rwanda

Abstract

Background: According to estimates, congenital abnormalities rank as the fourth most common cause of death for newborns. An estimated 2.4 million babies worldwide pass away in their first month of life. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of abdominal wall defects and the factors that contribute to them in neonates admitted to three particular teaching hospitals. Approach: To ascertain the frequency and contributing factors of abdominal wall defects in neonates, a quantitative retrospective design was employed. SPSS version 26 statistical software was used to analyze the data. To find the relationship between AWDs, chi-square was used and the significance level was set at p < 0.05. Findings: CHUK had the highest prevalence of AWDs (9.4%), followed by KFH (7.4%), and RMRTH (5.6%) had the lowest. The three hospitals' combined prevalence was 7.5% overall. Family history of alcohol use (AOR=1.4, CI=1.0-3.7, p=0.031), traditional drug use (AOR=1.3, CI=0.6-2.5, p=0.046), and congenital malformation (AOR=2.3, CI=1.6-4.5, p=0.022) at three hospitals. Abdominal wall defects were linked to the use of antibiotics during pregnancy (AOR=1.7, CI=0.6.2.03, p=0.027), NSAIDS during pregnancy (CI=1.6, CI=0.8-3.6, p=0.011), and parents who did not use folic acid+iron (1.5, CI=0.7-2.7, p=0.013). However, there was no statistically significant correlation between AWDs and residence, marital status, hospital birth type, maternal education level, or occupation (p>0.05). Conclusion: AWDs continue to be a major neonatal concern, according to this study's findings, with notable variations in prevalence across hospitals. Important modifiable maternal risk factors were found, highlighting the necessity of better prenatal care and focused education. Recommendations: Women of reproductive age should be encouraged to receive prenatal and antenatal care, as well as health education regarding lifestyle modifications, in order to reduce the risk factors that predispose them to AWDS. These hospitals should also educate medical professionals on how to identify AWDs in newborns during prenatal care, how to treat them after birth, and how to begin treatment as soon as possible.