Birth Prevalence of Congenital Hydronephrosis in a Tertiary Care Referral Hospital in Bangladesh: Findings from a Birth Defect Surveillance Data
Ismat Jahan, Abul Kasam, Maynul Haque, Tabassum Parveen, Nahreen Akhtar, Sanjoy Kumer Dey, Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Mohammod ShahidullahAbstract
Background:
Congenital or antenatal hydronephrosis (ANH), also known as antenatal detection of urinary tract dilation, is one of the most commonly detected congenital anomalies on routine prenatal ultrasonography and may be associated with significant postnatal urinary tract pathology.
Objective:
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ANH among infants born at a tertiary care multidisciplinary referral hospital in Bangladesh.
Materials and Methods:
This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Neonatology and the Department of Fetal-Maternal Medicine, Bangladesh Medical University, over a period of 8 years from January 2015 to December 2022. All liveborn inborn neonates delivered with the diagnosis of congenital hydronephrosis were enrolled in this study. Liveborns with documented ANH on fetal ultrasound, having at least one postnatal ultrasound confirmation of hydronephrosis, and those who have a complete clinical record available were included in this study. Infants with missing antenatal or postnatal imaging records were excluded from this study.
Results:
Between January 2015 and December 2022, a total of 11,864 live births were recorded. Among them, 132 inborn cases of congenital hydronephrosis were identified, giving an overall prevalence of 11.12 per 1000 live births. Male neonates predominated (80.3%). The mean maternal age was 27.11 ± 5.10 years. Cesarean section was the most common mode of delivery (76.5%), and parental consanguinity was present in 7.6% of cases. The mean birth weight and gestational age were 2712.46 ± 690.02 g and 36.09 ± 3.18 weeks, respectively. Low birth weight was observed in 31.8% of newborns. Term infants constituted 57.6%. Hydronephrosis was bilateral in 53.0% of cases. Postnatal evaluation showed that 56.1% of hydronephrosis cases were of idiopathic origin.
Conclusion:
The birth prevalence of ANH was 11.12 per 1000 live births at a leading tertiary care multidisciplinary referral center in Bangladesh.