A Retrospective Study of Fetal Congenital Anomalies In Tertiary Care Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63682/jns.v14i30S.6914Keywords:
Congenital, Anomalies, Fetal, Autopsy, AnencephalyAbstract
Background:
Congenital anomalies are a significant cause of fetal morbidity and mortality. Fetal autopsy remains the gold standard for confirming congenital malformations and assessing recurrence risk.
Methods:
A retrospective review was conducted on fetal autopsy at a tertiary care hospital over a defined period. Cases with confirmed congenital anomalies were analysed for prevalence, type of anomaly and associated clinical details. Anomalies were categorized system-wise to identify the most commonly affected systems.
Results:
Out of 264 fetal autopsies examined, congenital anomalies were observed in 100 cases (37%). Central nervous system malformations were the most prevalent, followed by musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and renal anomalies. Multiple system involvement was also noted.
Conclusion:
Fetal autopsy pathology is crucial for accurate diagnosis, guiding genetic counseling and preventing recurrence through targeted interventions and improved antenatal care.
Downloads
Metrics
References
World Health Organization. (2023). Congenital disorders. Retrieved December 19, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/birth-defects.
Lemmens M, van Vugt JMG, Willemsen M, van der Voorn P, van Bokhoven H, ten Donkelaar HJ. Causes of congenital malformations. In: Ten Donkelaar HJ, Lammens M, Hori A, eds. Clinical Neuroembryology. 2nd ed. Springer; 2014:105‐164.
Xie X, Pei J, Zhang L, Wu Y. Global birth prevalence of major congenital anomalies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health. 2025;25(1):449.
Bhide P, Gund P, Kar A. Prevalence of Congenital Anomalies in an Indian Maternal Cohort: Healthcare, Prevention, and Surveillance Implications. Eapen V, editor. PLOS ONE. 2016 Nov 10;11(11):e0166408.
Bhide P, Kar A. A national estimate of the birth prevalence of congenital anomalies in India: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Pediatr. 2018;18(1):175.
World Health Organization. The international classification of diseases. Available from: http://www. who. int/classifications/icd/en/. 1990.
Sharma R. Birth defects in India: Hidden truth, need for urgent attention. Indian J Hum Genet. 2013;19(2):125.
Chakma DA, Yumnam DBR, Debbarma DP. A Case Report On Anencephaly. IOSR J Dent Med Sci. 2024;23(11):59–62.
Sadler T W. Langman’s Medical Embryology. Wolters Kluwer South Asian 10th Edition 2019; 1(6): 79-80.
Kumar J, Saini SS, Sundaram V, Mukhopadhyay K, Dutta S, Kakkar N, et al. Prevalence & spectrum of congenital anomalies at a tertiary care centre in north India over 20 years (1998-2017). Indian J Med Res. 2021 ;154(3):483–90.
Dutta V, Chaturvedi P. Congenital malformations in rural Maharashtra. Indian Pediatr. 2000;37(9):998–1001.
Ronya R, Gupta D, Ghosh SK, Narang R, Jain KB. Spectrum of congenital surgical malformations in newborns. J Indian Med Assoc. 2002;100(9):565–6.
Al-Dewik N, Samara M, Younes S, Al-jurf R, Nasrallah G, Al-Obaidly S, et al. Prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of major congenital anomalies: A population-based register study. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):2198.
Bhalerao K. Pattern of Congenital Anomalies at Birth: A Hospital-based Study. J South Asian Fed Obstet Gynaecol. 2019;11(4):252–4.
Silesh M, Lemma T, Fenta B, Biyazin T. Prevalence and Trends of Congenital Anomalies Among Neonates at Jimma Medical Center, Jimma, Ethiopia: A Three-Year Retrospective Study. Pediatr Health Med Ther. 2021;12:61–7.
Mashuda F, Zuechner A, Chalya PL, Kidenya BR, Manyama M. Pattern and factors associated with congenital anomalies among young infants admitted at Bugando medical centre, Mwanza, Tanzania. BMC Res Notes. 2014;7(1):195.
Chimah OU, Emeagui KN, Ajaegbu OC, Anazor CV, Ossai CA, Fagbemi AJ, et al. Congenital malformations: Prevalence and characteristics of newborns admitted into Federal Medical Center, Asaba. Health Sci Rep. 2022;5(3):e599.
Boglárka Pethő, Szilárd Váncsa, Váradi A, Gergely Agócs, Ákos Mátrai, Franciska Zászkaliczky-Iker, et al. Very Young and Advanced Maternal Age Strongly Elevates the Occurrence of Non-Chromosomal Congenital Anomalies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Population-Based Studies. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology [Internet]. 2024 May 1 [cited 2024 Oct 30]; Available from: https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(24)00592-1/fulltext.
Iqbal CW, Derderian SC, Cheng Y, Lee H, Hirose S. Amniotic Band Syndrome: A Single-Institutional Experience. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2015;37(1):1–5.
Elayedatt RA, Krishnan V, Chandraprabha V. Fetal Autopsy—A Game Changer! J Fetal Med. 2023;10(03):099–104.
French AE, Gregg VH, Newberry Y, Parsons T. Umbilical Cord Stricture: A Cause of Recurrent Fetal Death. Obstet Gynecol. 2005;105(5):1235–9.
Bhadoria P, Joseph M, Chaturvedi A, Singh B. Fetal and infant embalming- A cost effective approach. J Med Evid. 2020;1(2):138.
Scalise C, Cordasco F, Sacco MA, Ricci P, Aquila I. The Importance of Post-Mortem Investigations in Stillbirths: Case Studies and a Review of the Literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(14):8817.
Doughty ES, Verilhac KN, McLaren S, Post MD. The importance of fetal autopsy: An institutional review and development of best practices for reporting size and estimating gestational age at demise. Am J Clin Pathol. 2024;161(3):283–8.
Durbin MD, Fairman K, Helvaty LR, Huang M, Li M, Abreu D, et al. Genetic Testing Guidelines Impact Care in Newborns with Congenital Heart Defects. J Pediatr. 2023;260:113495.
Widmann R, Caduff R, Giudici L, Zhong Q, Vogetseder A, Arlettaz R, et al. Value of postmortem studies in deceased neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit patients. Virchows Arch. 2017;470(2):217–23.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Manasi Gosavi, Deshpande K M, Aneta Mynarova, Ashwini Ratnakar

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
Terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.