1. Prevalence and Spatial Distribution of Gastroschisis in an Industrial Watershed.
- Author
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Minor J, Wells A, Orminski K, Thompson SN, Annie F, Robinson L, Calhoun BC, and Haricharan RN
- Subjects
- Infant, Newborn, Female, Pregnancy, Humans, Prevalence, Risk Factors, West Virginia, Prenatal Care, Gastroschisis epidemiology
- Abstract
The relationship between the congenital defect of gastroschisis and environmental toxins is poorly understood. We examined gastroschisis incidence, risk factors, and spatial association in a geographic region with known environmental pollution and hazardous waste sites. An observational study of fetal and neonatal gastroschisis diagnosed from 1/1/2006 to 12/31/2020 was conducted in a southern West Virginia (WV) tertiary care hospital. Emerging hot spot analysis and Ripley's K-Function examined the spatial relationship between gastroschisis cases and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Federal Registry Sites (FRS). A total of 63 gastroschisis cases provided a prevalence rate of 14.6 per 10000 live births. Gastroschisis was associated with younger maternal age, decreased pre-pregnancy BMI, and increased maternal tobacco use. Relative to FRS sites, spatial clusters were identified with emerging hot spot analysis. Observed Ripley K was higher at all measured bands. Results suggest a potential geographic association between gastroschisis cases and EPA-designated hazardous waste sites., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
- Published
- 2023
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