[Prevalence trend of neural tube defect in Zhengzhou city, 1996-2005].

OBJECTIVE

To describe the prevalence trend and epidemiological characteristics of neural tube defects (NTDs) in perinatal in Zhengzhou city from 1996 to 2005.

METHODS

Data collected from hospital were used to depict the epidemiology of NTDs in Zhengzhou. All perinatal fetuses born in hospitals had an access within 7 days after delivery. The prevalence were calculated by perinatal'year, sex, birth area (urban versus rural) and maternal age. All monitored perinatal (162,074) accounted for 32.66% from totals (496,203).

RESULTS

All 238 cases were found NTDs, and the overall prevalence rate was 14.68/10,000. The annual prevalence rate presented a decreasing trend during that period. The rates in rural and urban area, in male and female birth were 29.28/10,000 and 9.63/10,000, 11.42/10,000 and 17.74/10,000 respectively. There were significant differences among maternal-age-specific prevalence rates (chi2 = 22.952, P = 0.000). The rates of <20 years group(53.76/10,000) and >35 years group(21.74/10,000) were higher than others.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence rates of NTDs in rural area is higher than that in urban, female's is higher than male's in Zhengzhou. The annual prevalence rates of NTDs presents a decreasing trend in the past ten years.