Gestational age at the diagnosis of fetal neural tube defects in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of pregnant women presenting with fetal neural tube defects diagnosed after 20 weeks of gestation at a tertiary care hospital. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore. Period: 01 Feb 2025 to 01 Aug 2025. Methods: A total of 150 pregnant women aged 19–40 years with ultrasound-confirmed fetal neural tube defects were included using non-probability consecutive sampling. Demographic data including maternal age, parity, gestational age, education level, and socioeconomic status were recorded. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20. Chi-square test was applied and p-value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 150 cases, 61.3% were diagnosed after 20 weeks of gestation. The mean maternal age was 29.47 ± 5.25 years. Majority of women were above 25 years of age (86.66%), belonged to low socioeconomic status (74%), and were illiterate (43%). Late diagnosis showed significant association with maternal age (p=0.009), parity (p=0.006), education (p=0.0005), and socioeconomic status (p=0.00003). Conclusion: Fetal neural tube defects are frequently diagnosed after 20 weeks of gestation, particularly in women with low literacy, low socioeconomic status, and advanced maternal age. Strengthening preconception counselling, promoting folic acid supplementation, ensuring early antenatal booking, and expanding first-trimester screening services are critical strategies to reduce the burden of neural tube defects.