Lethal congenital malformations in the Greater Harare Obstetric Unit during 1983

Abstract

There were 97 perinatal death attributed to congenital malformations in the Greater Harare Obstetric Unit during 1983. This gives an incidence of 2.14/1 000 total births. The central nervous system was the most frequently involved system, affected in 40 (41.2%) of the deaths. The commonest malformation was anencephaly present in 17 (42.5%) of the central nervous system defects. Mothers of babies dying from a lethal congenital malformation tended to be older than the general obstetric population.