257

Althea Medical Journal. 2017;4(2)

Suspectable Risk Factors of Congenital Anomaly in Dr. Hasan Sadikin 
General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia

Pradistya Syifa Yudiasari¹, Akhmad Yogi Pramatirta², Sharon Gondodiputro³
1Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran, 2Department of Obstetric and Gynecology Faculty 
of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran/Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung, 1Department 
of Public Health Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran/Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital 

Bandung

Abstract

Background: Congenital anomaly is a disease of structural or functional alteration since birth. The cause of 
congenital anomaly is genetic, environtment, and unknown. The cause of congenital anomaly is unknown, 
made congenital anomaly is difficult to detect. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the 
suspectable risk factors of congenital anomaly.
Methods: This was a descriptive study. About 78 samples were taken by purposive sampling from medical 
records of patients with congenital anomaly in pediatric surgery ambulatory unit at Dr. Hasan Sadikin 
General Hospital (RSHS), Bandung from September to November 2014. From the selected medical records, 
an interview was carried out to the parents’ patient to identify some suspectable risk factors. The collected 
data were analyzed and presented in tables.
Results: From 78 medical records,  hirschprung disease was the highest among all type of congenital 
anomaly (29%). The characteristic of congenital anomaly was mothers in the age of 20–35 years (65%), 
fathers’ age was  more than 20 years old, family history of congenital anomaly was 1%, there was no history 
of previous congenital anomaly in previous pregnancy, infection history was 3%, history of medication was 
11.5%, mother’s BMI was in normal term (18.5─24.9) as much as 65%, no history of radiation, there was no 
history of chronic alcohol. History of smoking/passive smoking was high (65%).
Conclusions: Hirschprung disease is the highest rate disease in congenital anomaly and smoking is a highest 
suspectable risk factor contribute to congenital anomaly.

Keywords: Congenital anomaly, hirschprung, infection, smoking

Correspondence: Pradistya Syifa Yudiasari, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jalan Raya Bandung-Sumedang Km. 21, 
Jatinangor, Sumedang, Phone: +62 81221332215 Email: pradistyayudiasari@yahoo.com

Introduction

Congenital anomaly is a disease of structural 
or functional alteration since birth. Congenital 
anomaly can cause spontaneous abortion, 
disability, and death at birth.1 In 2007 
the prevalence of congenital anomaly in 
Indonesia was 6% and congenital anomaly 
was the majority cause of the late neonatal 
death.2 There are three causes of congenital 
anomalies: genetic (20%), environment (10%), 
and unknown causes (70%). The congenital 
anomaly detection is hard, thus, prevention 
is not easy to be done. This study was carried 
out to identify to identify the suspectable risk 
factors of congenital anomaly .

 

Methods

A descriptive study was carried out to   78 
samples. The samples were taken using 
purposive sampling method, from patients’ 
medical record continued with patients’ 
parents interview in pediatric surgery 
ambulatory unit , Dr. Hasan Sadikin General 
Hospital (RSHS), Bandung, from September to 
November 2014. 

Ethical clearance was given by the Education 
and Research Division of RSHS. An inclusion 
criterion in this study was pediatric patients 
in RSHS who were diagnosed with congenital 
anomaly. This study had 17 variables, which 
consisted of type of congenital anomaly, 
parents’ age, parents’ occupation, history of 

AMJ. 2017;4(2):257–60

ISSN 2337-4330  ||  doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15850/amj.v4n2.1095



Althea Medical Journal. 2017;4(2)

258     AMJ June 2017

congenital anomaly in the family, history of 
congenital anomaly in previous pregnancies, 
history of infections, history of medication, 
mothers’ Body Mass Index (BMI), history of 
exposure to radiation, history of mothers’ 
disease, alcohol consumption, smoking, 
physical abnormalities in parents, congenital 
anomaly detection,. The collected data were 
analyzed using frequency tabulation and were 
presented with tables.

Results

In this study, the highest number of congenital 
anomalies found was Hirschprung Disease 

(29%), followed by Anorectal Malformation 
System (28%).

In this study, the majority of mothers’ age 
(63% of all 78 samples) was in 20─35 years 
old age group. This age range is women’s 
productive time to start a family, especially 
in Indonesia. The percentage of women with 
high risk occupation was 1%. The highest 
percentage of women’s occupation in this study 
was housewife. Most women in Indonesia tend 
to dedicate their time for family than working, 
which usually is men’s job as the head of the 
family.

All fathers’ age in this study was above 
20 years old. This age was also a productive 

Table 1 Distribution of Congenital Anomalies

Characteristics System Congenital Anomalies Type
Frequency 

n=78
Persentage 

(%)
Congenital Anomalies Type 

Based on Body System Digestive Fistula 3 4%

Anorectal 
malformation 22 28%

Mislocated anus 1 1%
Hirschprung 

disease
23 29%

Abdominal Wall Gastroschizis 1 1%
Hernia 6 8%

Omphalocele 2 3%
Rectocele 1 1%

Genital Hipospadia 12 15%
Hydrocele 1 1%
Uretrocele 1 1%

Chromosomal 
Anomalies

Down syndrome 4 5%

Turner syndrome 1 1%

Table 2 Distribution of The Parents’ Age and Occupation 
Characteristics Category Frequency n=78 Percentage(%)

Mothers’ age ≤20 years old 2 2%
20–35 years old 49 63%

>35 years old 27 35%
Mothers’ occupation Job with risk 1 1%
Fathers’ age ≤20 years old 0 0%

>20 years old 78 100%
Fathers’ occupation Jobs with risk 6 8%



259

Althea Medical Journal. 2017;4(2)

Pradistya Syifa Yudiasari, Pramatirta, Sharon Gondodiputro: Suspectable Risk Factors of Congenital 
Anomaly in Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia

relationship with congenital anomaly because 
almost all of the respondents worked with no 
risk.

Preconception screening showed that 
there were not many patients with congenital 
anomaly in family or previous pregnancy. BMI 
variable in this study was mostly normal, this 
result was relevant with other researches.4 
But, high BMI value might cause cardiovascular 
anomaly in neonatal.4 Maternal disease which 
might cause congenital anomaly was diabetes, 
which showed 6% value in other researches.1,3 
This showed an insignificant relationship 
between diabetes and congenital anomaly. 

There was no history of alcohol 
consumption in pregnancy in this study. This 
might be caused by low alcohol consumption 
in Indonesia. 

In other studies, alcohol consumption 
might cause neonatal death in every age.1,5  
Teratogenic medication might become a risk 
for congenital anomaly occurrence. But, it was 
also found several medications which might 
cause congenital anomaly in other studies 
such as NSAID.6 NSAID might cause cleft lip, 
spine anomaly, and others.6 Antiretroviral 
consumption might also cause congenital 
anomaly.7 However, there are several 
medications which might prevent congenital 
anomaly prevalence, for example, folic acid 
consumption in pre-conception time.8 This can 
decrease neural tube defect risk.1,9 Medications 
found in this study was NSAID and herbal 
medicine consumption.

Histories of infection found in this study 
were toxoplasma and chikungunya infection. 
There was no radiation exposure history found. 
The highest percentage of characteristics 
found in this study was smoking, which was 
65%. Mostly, the smokers were the fathers.1 
Further USG examination was supposed to 
be done though low socioeconomic value 
in patients’ parents needs to be considered. 
Other studies showed that antenatal care 
was not done in Indonesia while as we know, 

age for men to start a family or to work. The 
majority of fathers’ occupation were not a high 
risk one, with entrepreneur being the highest 
percentage in this study. Patients’ fathers were 
mostly work as merchant or stall seller.

Preconception screenings showed that 
congenital anomaly found in patients were 
mostly the first case in the patients’ family 
because the number of congenital anomaly 
history in the study subjects was low. The 
majority of mothers’ BMI were normal. This 
showed that mothers’ nutritional statuses 
were still controlled. There were no physical 
abnormalities in parents. In all patients there 
was no maternal history of disease, such as 
congenital anomaly in the previous pregnancy.

The histories of infectious disease found 
were chikungunya and toxoplasmosis. The 
history of medication found was herbal 
medicine consumption in pregnancy. There 
was no alcohol consumption in pregnancy. 
Sixty-five percent of the fathers were smoking 
during pregnancy. This number was quite high, 
thus, smoking might contribute to congenital 
anomaly.

 
Discussion

The highest number of congenital anomaly 
found in this study was Hirschprung disease, 
which was 29% of all 78 patients, of digestive 
system. Whilst in other studies, the highest 
number of congenital anomaly found was 
central nervous system, spina bfida.3,9 

Congenital anomaly risk was higher in 
women younger than 20 years old and older 
than 35 years old, while in other study, 
congenital anomaly was found more in women 
older than 35 years.3 This might be caused by 
low number of samples in this study, narrow 
study area, which was limited to one hospital 
only, and common productive age in subjects 
which ranged between 20 to 35 years old. 
Meanwhile, fathers in other studies had similar 
mean age.3 Parents’ occupation did not show 

Table 3 Preconception Screening 
Characteristics Category Frequency n=78 Percentage(%)

History of congenital anomaly in 
family Yes 1 1%

Mothers’ BMI <18.5 12 16%
18.5−24.9 51 65%
25 –29.9 13 17%

≥ 30 2 2%



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260     AMJ June 2017

antenatal care is a tool which can be used to 
detect congenital anomalies. Previous studies 
showed that congenital anomaly happened 
more frequently in parents who did not do 
continuous antenatal care.9,10 Primary care 
doctor also has to be more alert in 37 to 42 
weeks of gestational age, since neonatal death 
occurs more frequently in those age period.10 
This evidence shows that antenatal care is 
important.

One of several limitations of this study is 
medical records in Dr. Hasan Sadikin General 
Hospital are not written completely. Another 
limitation is samples were not taken maximally 
because the information found in medical 
records was limited. Samples taken were also 
not sufficient, since this study was done on 
one location only, which was Dr. Hasan Sadikin 
General Hospital, Bandung

In conclusions, smoking is a characteristic 
found with a highest percentage 65% of 
all patients characteristic found in parents 
of patients with congenital anomaly. Thus, 
smoking can be considered as a high risk 
characteristic in this study. The highest 
percentage of congenital anomaly was 
Hirschprung disease (29%).

Preconceptional examination must be 
done as initial screening method of congenital 
anomaly. Other things that can be done include 
family risk screening, genetic counseling, 
prenatal or postnatal maternal disease which 
might affect the child’s condition, multivitamin 
consumption, like folic acid consumption. 
Primary care doctors have to have a good 
communication skill if they want to let the 
patients’ parents know that they have a risk 
of having baby with congenital anomaly, 
especially for mothers, who usually have 
more difficulty in accepting the reality that 
their children are diagnosed with congenital 
anomaly.11 Mothers’ food, medication, and 
health condition have to be checked in 
pregnancy. Those things might affect fetus’ 
development directly, thus, controlling those 
things might decrease congenital anomaly 
incidence in the future. 

Finally, several suggestions are proposed to 
improve future studies similar with this study. 
First, medical records’ recording system needs 
to be done so that other causes and factors 
affecting congenital anomaly incidence can 
be acknowledged. Analytic case control study 

can also be done to see whether there is any 
relationship between risk factors which might 
affect the occurrence of congenital anomaly.

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