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The objective of this study was to perform an external morphological evaluation of newborn (NB) and lactating children (LC) with diagnosis of neural tube defects (NTD) and cleft lip c/s palate (CL/s PH) to determine the type of defect, location, extent, classification and assess the proportion of infants with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and malnourished infants. A descriptive study in 36 children from birth to 12 months of age, 20 with NTD and 16 with LH c / s PH was carried out. The study was conducted in five hospitals in the city of Chihuahua, Mexico. An external morphological assessment and anthropometry of children were performed. The DTN lesions were classified as open and closed, as defects high or low, depending on the model of multiple sites and ICD-10. The LH c / s PH were classified as unilateral or bilateral, complete or incomplete, and as isolated or multiple. IUGR was determined in the RN and malnutrition in infants. A statistic analysis was made with STATA 8.0 for Windows. We studied 20 cases of NTDs, 3 LCs and 17 RN. LH c/s PH were 8 LC and 8 RN. The DTN, 60% were myelomeningocele and corresponded to open lesions. Eighty five percent were located at high level. In the model of multiple closures, the Z1 was 80%. The LH c/s PH were more frequent with complete cleft (50%). The 35% of newborns with NTD had IUGR and 67% of LC had malnutrition. It is important to understand the mechanisms of development of congenital anomalies as this allows to specify the time the fault occurred and to study the underlying diseases to offer genetic counseling for possible prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the association between maternal folate deficiency, neural tube defects (NTDs), and cleft lip, with and without cleft palate (CL/P). Material and methods: A case/control study was conducted. The cases included subjects with diagnoses of NTD and CL/P (n=36) and four hospital controls per case (n=141); the study included newborns (NBs) and nursing babies up to 12 months of age. The parameter variables were the following: the age of the NB or nursing baby, the ethnic group, and the hospital of origin. The Tarahumara ethnic group made up 23% of the cases, while 77% were mestizos. The red cell folate (RCF), the plasma folic acid (PFA), and the vitamin B12 levels were determined by radioimmunoassay and the homocysteine levels by polarized fluorescence immunoassay. A deficiency was considered to be present if the RCF were <160 ng/mL, the PFA <3.5 ng/mL and the vitamin B12 <200 pg/ mL; hyperhomocysteinemia was defined as HC >15 ??mol/L. The statistical analysis was carried out through of conditional logistic regression. Results: An RCF deficiency was identified in 22% of the women whose newborn or nursing babies presented with some type of congenital defect and in 12% of the controls. The correlation adjusted by maternal age, exposure to pesticides and zone of residence was OR 2.96 (CI 95% 0.92-9.46). There was no difference in vitamin B12 or homocysteine levels between groups. Conclusions: Our results suggest that newborns whose mothers present with an RCF deficiency have an increased risk of displaying NTD and CL/P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]