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. 2021 May 15;113(9):665-675.
doi: 10.1002/bdr2.1879. Epub 2021 Feb 15.

Causes of neonatal and postneonatal death among infants with birth defects in Texas

Renata H Benjamin  1 , Jason L Salemi  2   3 , Mark A Canfield  4 , Wendy N Nembhard  5 , Cecilia Ganduglia Cazaban  6 , KuoJen Tsao  7   8 , Anthony Johnson  7   8 , A J Agopian  1
Affiliations

Causes of neonatal and postneonatal death among infants with birth defects in Texas

Renata H Benjamin et al. Birth Defects Res. .

Abstract

Background: The proportion of deaths attributed to various causes has not been quantified among infants with birth defects. We sought to describe the causes of neonatal and postneonatal death among infants in the Texas Birth Defects Registry.

Methods: We calculated frequencies and percentages for both underlying causes and all causes (underlying or contributing) of neonatal (0-27 days) and postneonatal (28-364 days) death listed on death certificates among infants born alive with birth defects and delivered in Texas during 1999-2013 (n = 8,389 deaths). Analyses were repeated separately for infants with isolated, multiple, and syndromic defects.

Results: After birth defects, the most frequently listed causes of neonatal death were preterm/low birth weight (10%), circulatory system diseases (8%), and sepsis (5%). The leading postneonatal causes of death beyond birth defects were circulatory system diseases (32%), sepsis (11%), and renal failure (7%).

Conclusions: Improved understanding of the causes of mortality among infants with birth defects may help identify priorities for postnatal care. Our results suggest that potentially modifiable causes of death (e.g., circulatory system diseases, sepsis) contribute substantially to mortality in this population. Prioritizing continued improvements in prevention, diagnosis, and management of preventable conditions may reduce mortality among infants born with birth defects.

Keywords: birth defects; cause of death; epidemiology; infant mortality; registries.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Kaplan–Meier survival curve for the first year of life by defect classification, Texas Birth Defect Registry, 1999–2013 deliveries
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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