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Despite the notable gains that have been realized in reversing perinatal, neonatal, and childhood morbidity and mortality, insignificant actions on birth defects undermine the desired outcomes. A yearly upward trend of birth defects (44.04-205.28 per 100,000 livebirths) between 2014 and 2018 attributed to known genetic, unknown multifactorial inheritance, and socio-demographic environmental factors, with an estimated unit economic cost of $ 1,139.73 for outpatient services was observed in Kiambu County, Kenya. Thus, interventions anchored on social health insurance would suffice., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright: George Nyadimo Agot et al.)

Introduction: major external structural birth defects (MESBDs) are known to exert an enormous economic burden on individuals and health services; however, they have been vastly underprioritized as a public health problem in settings where cost analyses are limited. This study aimed at conducting a cost analysis of outpatient services for MESBDs in selected hospitals in Kiambu County, Kenya., Methods: a cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted in four hospitals selected for providing outpatient corrective and rehabilitative services to the under-fives. An ingredient approach was used to gather data retrospectively on the cost drivers for castings, bracings, and tendonectomies from healthcare providers' perspectives for a one-year time horizon from January 1 st , 2018, to December 31 st , 2018. Prevalence-based morbidity data were extracted from outpatient occupational therapy clinic registers, whereas staff time was gathered through face-to-face inquiries. Associated cost drivers of 349 cases were quantified, valued using prevailing market prices, and categorized as recurrent costs. The unit economic costs were calculated as average costs, expressed in U.S. dollars, and inflated to the U.S. dollar Consumer Price Index from January 2018 to December 2018., Results: the unit economic cost of all the cases was estimated at $1,139.73; $1,143.51 for neural tube defects (NTDs), $1,143.05 for congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV), and $1,109.81 for congenital pes planus., Conclusion: the highest economic burden of MESBDs was associated with NTDs, and CTEV, respectively. We recommend further research to estimate the economic costs of MESBDs among school-going pupils to inform the equitable allocation of resources for health and childhood developmental programs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright: George Nyadimo Agot et al.)

Introduction: birth defects are defined as structural or functional congenital malformations occurring during intrauterine and detectable prenatally, at birth, or later. Birth defects-awareness creation among women of reproductive age would help in preventing the occurrence of birth defects of known aetiology worldwide. Thus, this study aimed to assess the birth defects knowledge of women of reproductive age., Methods: we adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study design in eleven purposively selected public hospitals. The study population comprised women with children under five years, and attending child-welfare clinics at the study hospitals. Descriptive analyses consisting of means, standard deviations, medians, and ranges were used to summarize continuous variables, whereas, percentages and proportions were used to summarize categorical variables., Results: the median age of the study participants was 26 years with a mean of 27 (Standard Deviation=5, Range=17-42). A majority (77%) achieved at least a secondary level of education, while the median gravidity was 2 with a mean of 2 (Standard Deviation=1, Range; 1-8). The study participants' knowledge was above average (67%), implying in every 10 of reproductive age 3 had sub-optimal knowledge of birth defects., Conclusion: women of reproductive age were substantially deficient in birth defects knowledge in the county. Thus, we would like to recommend to public health policymakers and health care providers to formulate short health messages on birth defects tailored to women attending child welfare and antenatal clinics at all levels of health care including community health services in the county., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright: George Nyadimo Agot et al.)