Prevalence of Congenital Anomalies and Their Associated Factors in Newborns in the City of São Paulo from 2010 to 2014

OBJECTIVE To study the prevalence of congenital anomalies in newborns in the city of São Paulo from 2010 to 2014, as well as to analyze other variables associated with the anomalies. METHODS Data was collected from the Ministry of Health's Live Births Information System (SINASC) from 2010 to 2014 in São Paulo City. The variables analyzed were length and type of pregnancy, maternal age, and ethnicity and sex of the newborn. The absolute and relative frequencies of congenital anomalies were verified, and the variables associated with them were calculated with the odds ratio (OR) and a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS A total of 819,018 live births occurred in the city of São Paulo, and in 14,657 (1.6%) of them, some congenital anomaly was reported. The most frequent congenital anomalies found were those related to osteoarticular system followed by those related to the cardiovascular system. Risks associated with the presence of congenital anomalies were observed in the following factors: maternal age over 40 years (OR=1.59; 95%CI 1.47-1.71), multiple pregnancies (OR=1.28; 95%CI 1.19-3.77), and low birth weight (OR=3.35; 95%CI 3.21-3.49). The female gender was considered a protective variable (OR=0.78; 95%CI 0.75-0.81). CONCLUSIONS Congenital anomalies are responsible for morbidity and mortality in the neonatal period. Their early diagnosis is important for planning and resource allocation of specialized health services directed toward the families and infants.