A Silent Epidemic of Congenital Anomalies and Its Predictors Among Newborns in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: This review was conducted with the aim of assessing the pooled prevalence of congenital anomalies and its predictors among newborns in Ethiopia. Methods: The relevant studies were identified by electronic database searching methods. All statistical analyses were carried out with STATA™ Version-14 software. Results: A total of 22 studies were included in this review. The pooled prevalence of congenital anomalies was 21.25 per 1,000 newborns. Age of the mother 35 years and above (POR = 3.29, 95% CI: 1.59-6.82) absence of formal education among mothers (POR = 1.35, 95% CI:1.12-1.63), maternal cigarate smoking (POR = 2.98, 95% CI:1.56-5.67), alcoholic drinking (POR = 2.66, 95% CI:1.28-5.51), chat chewing (POR = 3.37, 95% CI:1.57-7.21), no folic acid supplementation (POR = 4.29, 95% CI:2.35-7.83), pesticide exposure (POR = 3.23, 95% CI: 2.02-5.16), medication use during pregnancy (POR = 4.37, 95% CI:2.11-9.06), maternal chronic illness (POR = 3.76, 95% CI:1.72-8.20), preterm (POR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.59-3.47), multiple pregnancy (POR = 3.66, 95% CI:1.99-6.71), low birth weight (POR = 5.46, 95% CI: 4.41-6.75) were identified as the predictors of congenital anomalies among newborns in Ethiopia. Conclusion: Relatively high burden of congenital anomalies were detected. Hence, strategies to minimize substance use, exposure to pesticide and medication, and to improve folic acid supplementation during pregnancy should be encouraged.