Clinically observable socio-demographic characteristics of congenital malformations in the Bamako District, in 2023

Abstract

Introduction: Congenital malformations are a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality in developing countries. The aim of this study was to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of clinically visible congenital malformations in newborns in the district of Bamako. Materials and methods: This was a case-control study carried out in the District of Bamako in 2023, including 96 newborns, 32 of whom had congenital malformations, and 64 controls, whose descriptive analyses are presented in this article. Cases and controls were matched on sex. We collected sociodemographic data from parents and newborns using a questionnaire. The data were entered into RedCap on tablets and analysed using RStudio® software version 4.3.1. Participation in the study was voluntary, and an informed consent form was signed. Results: Approximately 63% of clinically visible congenital malformations were observed in male newborns. The mean age of mothers of affected infants was 25.6 years (standard deviation: ±6.91 years), compared with a mean age of 23.9 years (standard deviation: ±4.7 years) for mothers of infants without malformations. It was also observed that almost 40.65% of clinically visible congenital malformations concerned the digestive system. Conclusion: This study showed that most newborns with congenital malformations were boys, born to relatively young mothers. Cases of malformations of the digestive system were predominant