Epidemiology of congenital limb reduction defects in the regions of the Russian Federation

Abstract

Limb reduction defects are a common and diverse group of congenital defects, including different types of limb shortening. However, the epidemiology of this group of defects in the Russian Federation has not been studied, and their population frequencies are unknown both in the Russian Federation as a whole and in individual regions. At the same time, knowledge of the epidemiological characteristics of defects is important and necessary for studying their causes, as well as for planning preventive measures. The data of the combined database of epidemiological monitoring of congenital malformations served as the material for determining the population characteristics of limb reduction defects. The article presents data from 27 regional registries of congenital malformations for the period from 2011 to 2023. The total number of cases of reduction malformations of the limbs was 3005, the frequency was 4.93 per 10,000 births. Interregional differences in frequencies were revealed, ranging from 1.88 to 7.35 per 10,000 births. The dynamics of the level of reduction malformations in the regions for the period 2011–2023 were stable. For defects of this group, a predominance of males among those affected was found in the ratio of 1.4M: 1F, as well as more frequent lesions of the upper limbs. Risk factors for the occurrence of the defect include male gender, low birth weight, maternal age over 35 years and first birth.