Silent Burden: Twenty Five Years of Infant Loss from Congenital Nervous System Malformations in the United States
Muhammad Bin Salman1, Syed Areeb Ahmed1, Ahmed Haroon Janjua1, Muhammad Hanzalah Atif2, Ifrah Sajjad3, humna Minhas4, Faizan Shahzad5
1Internal Medicine, rawalpindi medical university, 2Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi, 3Internal Medicine, King Edward Medical University, 4shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Medical and dental college, 5Rawalpindi Medical University
Objective:
This study aimed to analyze the trends and disparities in infant mortality linked to congenital malformations of the nervous system (CMNS) in the United States (U.S) from 1999 to 2023.
Background:
CMNS are a major cause of infant mortality, ranking as the second leading cause of death from birth defects in the U.S. Despite preventive efforts such as folic acid supplementation and prenatal screening, CMNS-related deaths remain significant and display marked racial, ethnic, and regional disparities.
Design/Methods:
Data on infant deaths due to CMNS from 1999–2023 were extracted from the CDC WONDER database using ICD-10 codes Q00–Q07. Crude mortality rates (CMR) per 100,000 live births were calculated and analyzed by year, age, gender, race/ethnicity, and region.
Results:
Between 1999 and 2023, 22,919 U.S. infant (<1 year) deaths were attributed to CMNS. The overall CMR was 23.4 (95% CI= 22.8–24.0), declining annually by 0.7% (–0.96 to –0.45). Females had a slightly higher CMR than males (0.25 vs 0.20). When deaths were stratified according to the age at time of death so the highest CMR was in infants of age <1 day (10.5; 9.5–11.5). Mortality rate was highest in Hispanic/Latino infants (26.8; 24.2–29.9) and lowest in Non-Hispanic American Indian infants (14.2; 10.6–17.8). Non-metropolitan areas had higher mortality than metropolitan areas (28.0 vs 22.8). Regionally, the Midwest (25.8; 22.3–29.2) had the highest rate, while the Northeast had the lowest (16.4; 13.1–19.4).
Conclusions:
Despite an overall decline in CMNS-related infant mortality, a significant burden and persistent disparities by age, ethnicity, and geography emphasize the need for focused public health measures and improved access to early diagnosis and prenatal interventions.
Disclaimer: Abstracts were not reviewed by Neurology® and do not reflect the views of Neurology® editors or staff.