Introduction:

in the historical development of humanity, congenital malformations have been presented with different explanations, attributing meanings that oscillate between science and superstition. With the prenatal diagnostic expression of congenital defects are grouped those diagnostic actions aimed at discovering a congenital defect during pregnancy.

Objective:

to analyze the behavior of some variables in the screening of congenital malformations in pregnant women in the province of Guantánamo.

Method:

a retrospective longitudinal study was performed on congenital malformations in pregnant women, in the period January-December 2010. The universe is constituted by 7 585 births and the sample by 76 malformations that occurred in that period, using simple random sampling. The following variables were analyzed: age, municipality of origin, type of congenital malformation, alive or deceased, AFP result, ultrasound result in the first and second trimester, prenatal diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies, prenatal diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism and outcome of the prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis.

Results:

the highest rates corresponding to the municipalities of Caimanera, Baracoa and Maisí, with 11.2; 2.74 and 2.28; respectively. The most frequent malformations were found in the central nervous system with 23.68%, cardiovascular and osteomyoarticular, with 19.73 and 18.42%, each. The municipalities with the highest rate of congenital malformations were Imías, Caimanera and Niceto Pérez with 30.86; 28.09 and 12.98 per thousand.

Conclusions:

the mortality rate due to congenital malformations in the province of Guantanamo during 2010 was higher than that reported nationally. The frequency of congenital malformations during the year 2010 in Guantanamo province was lower than that reported in the literature. The age group with predominance of congenital malformations was 20 to 29 years of age. The most used diagnostic means were ultrasound, followed by alpha-fetoproteins, and cytogenetic studies.

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