Major congenital anomalies at birth in Benghazi, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, 1995.

A study was conducted to investigate the magnitude, nature and associated risk factors of major congenital anomalies (MCAs) at birth in Benghazi, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in 1995. The incidence of MCAs was 7.4 per 1000 live births and 9.3 per 1000 total births. The rate was higher in summer, in babies born to mothers over 40 years and low-birth-weight babies or those born preterm or post-term. In 56.1% of cases there were multiple congenital anomalies and > two-thirds of the major congenital anomalies were chromosomal, musculoskeletal or of the central nervous system. The incidence of perinatal death in births with MCAs was 49.1% compared with 2.7% for all births.