Interventions for Congenital anomalies

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Age Cohort: < 5 years
Health Promotion Disease Prevention Diagnostic Curative Rehabilitative Palliative
Community Level
  • Educate adolescent girls and mothers to have a healthy diet including adequate dietary intake of vegetables and fruit, vitamins and minerals particularly folic acid, and maintain a healthy weight
  • Educating and counselling parents and community on addressing stigma attached with congenital abnormalities
  • Information education and communication on harmful substances, particularly alcohol and tobacco, exposure of pregnant women to medications
  • Adequate dietary intake of vitamins and minerals, folic acid, variety of vegetables and fruit and maintain a healthy weight for adolescent’s girls and mothers
  • Avoid harmful substances, particularly alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy
  • Ensure avoidance of travel by pregnant women (and sometimes women of childbearing age) to regions experiencing outbreaks of infections known to be associated with birth defects,
  • Reduce or eliminating environmental exposure to hazardous substances (such as heavy metals or pesticides) during pregnancy,
  • Measles-rubella (MR) vaccine
  • Screening and treatment of infections, especially rubella, varicella and syphilis
  • Recognition of congenital heart anomalies signs and symptoms
  • Immediate transfer of suspected congenital heart anomalies to a higher-level health care facility
  • Physical rehabilitation
  • Family or caregiver educational training
  • Psychological and social support to patients and families of babies with birth-related complications
Primary Care
  • Raise awareness on the importance of birth defects as a cause of child morbidity and mortality
  • Educate adolescent girls and mothers on healthy diet and consumption of foods rich in natural folates
  • Information education and communication on harmful substances, particularly alcohol and tobacco
  • Education to minimize exposure of pregnant women and workers in their workplace to risk factors for congenital anomalies (chemical, physical and biological
  • Promote the use of iodized salt
  • Folic acid/multiple micronutrient supplementation in early pregnancy * Measles-rubella (MR) vaccine
  • Avoiding teratogenic medications during pregnancy
  • New born screening for congenital abnormalities
  • Clinician suspicion
  • Pulse oximeter
  • Immediate transfer of suspected congenital heart anomalies to a higher-level health care facility
  • Physical rehabilitation
  • Occupational therapy
  • Family or caregiver educational training
  • Provide assistive products
  • Psychological and social support to patients and families of babies with birth-related complications
  • Assess to detect and manage any signs of neurologic dysfunction such as delayed developmental milestones
Referral Facility: General
  • Raise awareness of health professionals on the importance of new born screening for early identification of infants born with congenital birth defects
  • Folic acid/multiple micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy
  • Appropriate use of fortified foods
  • Measles-rubella (MR) vaccine * Avoiding teratogenic medications during pregnancy
  • Screening and treatment of syphilis in pregnant women
  • Preconception care; hypothyroidism management, obesity control, chronic diseases e.g. diabetes, epilepsy control, hepatitis B vaccination and glycaemic control
  • Clinical suspicion
  • Pulse oximeter
  • Chest radiograph
  • Ultrasonography (pre and post-natal)
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Echocardiography
  • Antihypertensive
  • Diuretics
  • Anti-arrhythmia
  • Early screening for early correction
  • Immediate transfer of suspected congenital heart anomalies to a higher-level health care facility
  • Long term rehabilitation support including physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy
  • Family or caregiver educational training
  • Provide assistive products
  • Psychological and social support to patients and families of babies with birth-related complications
  • Assess to detect and manage any signs of neurologic dysfunction such as delayed developmental milestones
Referral Facility: Specialist
  • Raise awareness of health professionals on the importance of new born screening for early identification of infants born with congenital birth defects
  • Correction of some endocrine and metabolic abnormalities such as diabetes, hypothyroidism before conception
  • Avoiding teratogenic medications during pregnancy
  • Genetic testing and counselling for families at risk
  • Clinical suspicion
  • Pulse oximeter
  • Chest radiograph
  • Ultrasonography (pre and post-natal)
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
  • Echocardiography
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Heart magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Chromosomal studies
  • Genomic microarray
  • Corrective/plastic surgery with good follow up care (e.g.congenital heart defects, NTD, congenital talipes, cleft lip, cleft palate etc)
  • Screening of newborn for certain metabolic, hematologic and endocrine disorders
  • Management of newborns for certain metabolic, hematologic and endocrine disorders
  • Long term rehabilitation support including physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy
  • Family or caregiver educational training
  • Provide assistive products
  • Psychological and social support to patients and families of babies with birth-related complications
  • Assess to detect and manage any signs of neurologic dysfunction such as delayed developmental milestones
 
Age Cohort: 5 - 11 years
Health Promotion Disease Prevention Diagnostic Curative Rehabilitative Palliative
Community Level
  • Educate adolescent girls and mothers have a healthy diet including a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, vitamins and minerals particularly folic acid and maintain a healthy weight
  • Information education and communication on harmful substances, particularly alcohol and tobacco, exposure of pregnant women to medications or medical radiation
  • Train community health workers in promoting prevention and early identification of congenital anomalies
  • Ensure adolescent girls and mothers have a healthy diet including a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, vitamins and minerals including folic acid and maintain a healthy weight
  • Avoidance of harmful substances, particularly alcohol and tobacco
  • Avoidance of travel by pregnant women (and sometimes women of childbearing age) to regions experiencing outbreaks of infections known to be associated with birth defects
  • Reduce or eliminate environmental exposure to hazardous substances (such as heavy metals or pesticides) during pregnancy
  • Vaccination, especially against the rubella virus, for children and women
  • Early identification of congenital abnormalities and referral
  • Physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and support from families and community.
Primary Care
  • Train health staff and others involved in promoting prevention of congenital anomalies
  • Folic acid supplementation in early pregnancy
  • Correction of maternal iodine deficiency before conception
  • Screening all women of childbearing age for rubella antibodies before conception * Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
  • Primary prevention of maternal infection with herpes simplex virus and Toxoplasma gondii to prevent mother-to-child transmission
  • Avoiding teratogenic medications during pregnancy

Early identification and referral

Referral Facility: General
  • Train health staff and others involved in promoting prevention of congenital anomalies;
  • Folic acid supplementation in early pregnancy
  • Correction of maternal iodine deficiency before conception
  • Screening all women of childbearing age for rubella antibodies before conception
  • Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
  • Primary prevention of maternal infection with herpes simplex virus and Toxoplasma gondii to prevent mother-to-child transmission
  • Avoiding teratogenic medications during pregnancy
  • Medical treatment for some metabolic, endocrine and haematological conditions e.g.congenital hypothyroidism
  • Early screening for early correction (e.g. congenital hearing loss, congenital cataract, etc.)
  • Physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and support from families and community.
Referral Facility: Specialist
  • Train health staff and others involved in promoting prevention of congenital anomalies
  • Folic acid supplementation in early pregnancy
  • Correction of maternal iodine deficiency before conception
  • Screening all women of childbearing age for rubella antibodies before conception
  • Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
  • Primary prevention of maternal infection with herpes simplex virus and Toxoplasma gondii to prevent mother-to-child transmission
  • Avoiding teratogenic medications during pregnancy
  • Surgery with good follow up care (e.g., congenital heart defects, congenital talipes, cleft lip/palate)
  • Screening of newborn for certain metabolic, hematologic and endocrine disorders
 
Age Cohort: 25 - 59 years
Health Promotion Disease Prevention Diagnostic Curative Rehabilitative Palliative
Community Level
  • Educate adolescent girls and mothers have a healthy diet including a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, vitamins and minerals particularly folic acid and maintain a healthy weight.
  • Information education and communication on harmful substances, particularly alcohol and tobacco, exposure of pregnant women to medications or medical radiation
  • Ensure mothers have a healthy diet including a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, vitamins and minerals including folic acid and maintain a healthy weight
  • Avoidance of harmful substances, particularly alcohol and tobacco
  • Avoidance of travel by pregnant women (and sometimes women of childbearing age) to regions experiencing outbreaks of infections known to be associated with birth defects
  • Reduce or eliminate environmental exposure to hazardous substances (such as heavy metals or pesticides) during pregnancy
  • Vaccination: Rubella for women
  • Early identification of congenital abnormalities and referral
Primary Care
  • Folic acid supplementation in early pregnancy
  • Correction of maternal iodine deficiency before conception
  • Screening all women of childbearing age for rubella antibodies before conception * Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
  • Primary prevention of maternal infection with herpes simplex virus and Toxoplasma gondii to prevent mother-to-child transmission
  • Avoiding teratogenic medications during pregnancy

Early identification and referral

Referral Facility: General
  • Folic acid supplementation in early pregnancy
  • Correction of maternal iodine deficiency before conception
  • Screening all women of childbearing age for rubella antibodies before conception
  • Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
  • Primary prevention of maternal infection with herpes simplex virus and Toxoplasma gondii to prevent mother-to-child transmission
  • Avoiding teratogenic medications during pregnancy
  • Medical treatment for some metabolic, endocrine and haematological conditions e.g., congenital hypothyroidism
  • Screening for any congenital abnormalities
  • Physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and support from families and community.
Referral Facility: Specialist
  • Folic acid supplementation in early pregnancy
  • Correction of maternal iodine deficiency before conception
  • Screening all women of childbearing age for rubella antibodies before conception
  • Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
  • Primary prevention of maternal infection with herpes simplex virus and Toxoplasma gondii to prevent mother-to-child transmission
  • Avoiding teratogenic medications during pregnancy
  • Surgery with good follow up care for adult congenital heart disease (ACHD)
  • Screening of metabolic, hematologic and endocrine disorders,
  • Physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and support from families and community.
 
Age Cohort: Pregnancy and newborn
Health Promotion Disease Prevention Diagnostic Curative Rehabilitative Palliative
Community Level
  • Educate adolescent girls and mothers to have a healthy diet including adequate dietary intake of vegetables and fruit, vitamins and minerals particularly folic acid; and maintain a healthy weight
  • Educating and counselling parents and community on addressing stigma attached with congenital abnormalities
  • Information education and communication on harmful substances, particularly alcohol and tobacco, exposure of pregnant women to medications
  • Adequate dietary intake of vitamins and minerals, folic acid, variety of vegetables and fruit and maintain a healthy weight for adolescent’s girls and mothers
  • Avoid harmful substances, particularly alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy
  • Ensure avoidance of travel by pregnant women (and sometimes women of childbearing age) to regions experiencing outbreaks of infections known to be associated with birth defects
  • Reduce or eliminating environmental exposure to hazardous substances (such as heavy metals or pesticides) during pregnancy
  • Measles-rubella (MR) vaccine
  • Screening and treatment of infections, especially rubella, varicella and syphilis
  • Recognition of congenital heart anomalies signs and symptoms
  • Immediate transfer of suspected congenital heart anomalies to a higher-level health care facility
  • Physical rehabilitation
  • Family or caregiver educational training
  • Psychological and social support to patients and families of babies with birth-related complications
Primary Care
  • Raise awareness on the importance of birth defects as a cause of child morbidity and mortality
  • Educate adolescent girls and mothers on healthy diet and consumption of foods rich in natural folates
  • Information education and communication on harmful substances, particularly alcohol and tobacco
  • Education to minimize exposure of pregnant women and workers in their workplace to risk factors for congenital anomalies (chemical, physical and biological
  • Promote the use of iodized salt
  • Folic acid/multiple micronutrient supplementation in early pregnancy * Measles-rubella (MR) vaccine
  • Avoiding teratogenic medications during pregnancy
  • New born screening for congenital abnormalities
  • Clinician suspicion
  • Pulse oximeter
  • Immediate transfer of suspected congenital heart anomalies to a higher-level health care facility
  • Physical rehabilitation
  • Family or caregiver educational training
  • Psychological and social support to patients and families of babies with birth-related complications
Referral Facility: General
  • Raise awareness of health professionals on the importance of new born screening for early identification of infants born with congenital birth defects
  • Folic acid/multiple micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy
  • Appropriate use of fortified foods
  • Measles-rubella (MR) vaccine
  • Avoiding teratogenic medications during pregnancy
  • Screening and treatment of syphilis in pregnant women
  • Preconception care: hypothyroidism management, obesity control, chronic diseases e.g. diabetes, epilepsy control, hepatitis B vaccination and glycaemic control
  • Clinical suspicion
  • Pulse oximeter
  • Chest radiograph
  • Ultrasonography (pre and post-natal)
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
  • Echocardiography
  • Antihypertensive
  • Diuretics
  • Anti-arrhythmia
  • Early screening for early correction
  • Immediate transfer of suspected congenital heart anomalies to a higher-level health care facility
  • Long term rehabilitation support including physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy
  • Family or caregiver educational training
  • Provide assistive products
  • Psychological and social support to patients and families of babies with birth-related complications
  • Assess to detect and manage any signs of neurologic dysfunction such as delayed developmental milestones
Referral Facility: Specialist
  • Correction of some endocrine and metabolic abnormalities such as diabetes, hypothyroidism before conception
  • Avoiding teratogenic medications during pregnancy
  • Genetic testing and counselling for families at risk
  • Clinical suspicion
  • Pulse oximeter
  • Chest radiograph
  • Ultrasonography (pre and post-natal)
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
  • Echocardiography
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Heart magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Chromosomal studies
  • Genomic microarray
  • Antihypertensive
  • Diuretics
  • Anti-arrhythmia
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Balloon valvuloplasty
  • Heart surgery
  • Heart transplant
  • Foetal cardiac intervention
  • Prophylactic antibiotics
  • Long term rehabilitation support including physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy
  • Family or caregiver educational training
  • Provide assistive products
  • Psychological and social support to patients and families of babies with birth-related complications
  • Assess to detect and manage any signs of neurologic dysfunction such as delayed developmental milestones