Abstract:

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to study the socio-demographic characteristics of the families of neuron tube defects that have been followed in our newborn intensive care unit and other possible factors in the ethology of neuron tube defects (NTDs). Tools and Methods: From January 2011 to December 2016, 148 newborn babies monitored with the diagnosis of nerve tube defects in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit of the Selçuk University School of Medicine were examined as retrospective. Results: 78 of the NTD patients involved were girls (52.70%) and 70 (47.30%) men. 96 patients with NTD (65 percent) were diagnosed with meningomyelosel, 36 percent (24 percent) meningosel, 12 percent (8 percent) encephalosel, 3 percent (2 percent) anencephaly, 1 percent (1 percent) dermal sinus. The average age of mothers was 27.6 ± 4.32 (18-39) Comparing the educational levels of mothers, 52 of their mothers (35 percent) were primary school, 56 (38 percent) high school, 34 high school (23 percent) and 3 (2 percent) university graduates, and 3 (2 percent) did not read. 135 of the mothers (91.3%) were households, 7 (4.7%) workers, and 6 (4.0) officials. There were no mothers who used folic acid in the pre-conceptional period and 41 of the mothers (27.7%) suffered from fever during the prenatal period. When the parents of the patients were assessed in terms of their professions, 31 (%20.9) were workers, 26 (%17.6) officers, 33 (%22.3) freelancers, 36 (%24.3) farmers, 22 (%14.9) were unemployed. When monthly income levels were assessed; 87 (58.8%) had minimum wages and income below, while 61 (41.2) had income above minimum wages. The result: Our study has found that a number of sociodemographic characteristics may be effective in the development of NTD and that the awareness of the public about them, increasing the work towards the society at risk by health scans and taking measures toward this situation and eliminating the risks that can be prevented.

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