DOI: 10.24938/kutfd.1888647 ISSN: 1302-3314

CHANGES IN THE INCIDENCE OF BIRTH TRAUMA FOLLOWING A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE: A SINGLE-CENTER RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Nuriye Aslı Melekoğlu, Abdulgani Gülyüz
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Objective: This study aims to evaluate the change in the incidence of birth trauma after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake and to compare it with the one year before the earthquake.Material and Methods: In this single-center, retrospective study, all live births that occurred at Malatya Turgut Özal University Faculty of Medicine Hospital during the one year before and the one year after the earthquake were examined, with February 2023 excluded. Maternal and neonatal data of cases diagnosed with birth trauma were obtained from hospital records. Traumas were classified as soft tissue, bone, nervous system, and intra-abdominal injuries.Results: A total of 10,325 live births occurred over the two-year period. Birth trauma was detected in 86 cases (1.38%) among 6,228 births in the pre-earthquake period and in 102 cases (2.49%) among 4,097 births in the post-earthquake period (p < 0.001). In both periods, no significant differences were found in terms of demographic characteristics, mode of delivery, presentation, prematurity rates, macrosomia, and maternal risk factors. Although the distribution of trauma types was similar, soft tissue injuries were the most frequent.Conclusion: A significant increase in the incidence of birth trauma was found in the post-earthquake period. It is thought that this may be associated with disruptions in access to health services, irregular antenatal follow-ups, and the psychological impact of the disaster process on healthcare workers and pregnant women. The importance of planning to increase the sustainability of perinatal care during disaster periods is once again emphasized.

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