KABUL (SW) – Health experts in Afghanistan say that the congenital disorders among the newborn babies is on the rise in the country.
Mohammad Hanif Tesal, a general surgery specialist at Sehat Tefil Hospital, says that on average, every day a baby with congenital disorders goes under surgery. Tariq Rahimi, a specialist in pediatrics surgery at the French Medical Institute, says that such patients are operated on at this institute at eight-nine weeks of birth.
According to Rahimi, placing pregnant women in the environment of radioactive radiation, excessive use of telephones and other electronic devices during pregnancy can also increase the risk suffering from this defect.
But mothers say that they do not know what can cause children to be born with congenital disorders.
Bibi Gou – not her real name – a 40-year-old woman whose 11th child was recently born with congenital disorders, told Salam Watandar that she did not know about this issue during pregnancy and after giving birth, she noticed this defect in her child. She added that during pregnancy, she went to the doctor every week, but this defect was not diagnosed.
Zarghuna, a resident of Kunar, whose baby was born with congenital disorders, cited the mental condition and improper nutrition during pregnancy as the reason for her baby’s disease. She said: “Because of this child, his father had lost his job and he did not have proper food, I was very irritable and suffocated, and my blood pressure was always low.”
Meanwhile, Sahar Bozorgmehr, a doctor at Rabia Balkhi Hospital in Kabul, says that hereditary factors and mental worries during pregnancy can cause a child to be born with congenital disorders.
Another woman who was six months pregnant said that she was worried that her child will also suffer from this condition. According to her, there are not enough facilities in the country to diagnose this defect in the fetus.
An estimated 240 000 newborns die worldwide within 28 days of birth every year due to congenital disorders. Congenital disorders cause a further 170 000 deaths of children between the ages of 1 month and 5 years. Congenital disorders can contribute to long-term disability, which takes a significant toll on individuals, families, health care systems and societies.
Nine of ten children born with a serious congenital disorder are in low- and middle-income countries.
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