[Neural tube defects at the Pedro García Clara Hospital, Zulia State, Venezuela].

The results of a retrospective analysis of newborn population with neural tube defects (NTD) occurred in the Hospital Pedro Garcia Clara at Zulia State for the period 1982-1988, sex, birth condition, maternal age, number of pregnancies and mother's mean permanency of time in the zone, were studied. The control sample were children who were born the same day and of the same sex as the malformed children. By that period, the NTDs occupied the first place as morbidity caused for congenital malformations. NTDs had an incidence rate of 2.28 out of thousand total of births and can be considered one of the highest reported in the country. The major rate, 5.5 per 1000 was observed in 1986. The frequency of NTDs was higher in stillbirths and females. There were no differences between NTDs and controls in relation with maternal age and number of pregnancies in the mother. There was a heterogeneous geographical distribution with high concentration of cases of NTDs in Bachaquero and Mene Grande. The permanency of the NTDs's mothers was greater than that the controls' mothers. According to this investigation, it is suggested a necessity for more profound studies in order to identify and clarify some possible environmental conditions that could explain the present findings.