Mortality among newborns with neural tube defects at the Kinshasa University Hospital, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Context and objective. Since September 2023, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has implemented Universal Health Coverage (UHC) with free care for newborns. This has increased the number of newborns admitted in Kinshasa University Hospital (KUH), particularly those with neural tube defects (NTD). The present study was conducted to determine the mortality rate of newborns referred for NTD. Methods. A case series was conducted at the KUH and involved newborns admitted for NTD from January to December 2024, whether operated on or not. Pearson's Chi-square and Student's t tests were used to compare proportions and means, respectively. Results. The 32 newborns with NTD were distributed into 23 cases of myelomeningocele (71.9%) and 9 cases of meningoencephalocele (28.1%). Fifty percent of the mothers completed their pregnancies without any obstetric ultrasound. The antenatal diagnosis rate was 6.2%. Eleven newborns (34.3%) died. For 8 of them (72.7%), no surgical procedure was performed or considered. The remaining 3 (27.3%) died postoperatively. Conclusion. Despite improved access to care for newborns with NTD, neonatal mortality is very high, especially in the preoperative period. Preventive measures for NTD must be implemented to reduce their prevalence and mortality rate. Received: May 30th, 2025 Accepted: November 11th, 2025 https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/aamed.v19i1.9