Rise in birth defects in Lango sub-region worries doctors

Medical professionals in the Lango sub-region have raised concern over the growing number of children born with congenital malformations, also known as birth defects.

These abnormalities, ranging from mild to life-threatening, are increasingly being diagnosed at health facilities across northern Uganda.

At Lira Regional Referral Hospital (LRRH) alone, more than 1,100 corrective surgeries have been conducted on children with birth defects between 2024 and mid-July 2025, signalling what health workers call a worrying trend.

Malformations are structural abnormalities that occur during prenatal development and may affect various parts of the body, often requiring complex medical and surgical intervention.

Common conditions reported in the region include gastroschisis, hydrocephalus, cleft palate/lip, anorectal malformations, pediatric hernias, spina bifida, limb deformities, and urological complications.

During the recent commissioning of a newly refurbished theatre at LRRH, Health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocer lauded the hospital’s surgical team for their tireless efforts in saving the lives of children born with such defects.

She, however, underscored the need for more proactive interventions to prevent these cases. The hospital’s acting director, Dr Andrew Odur, expressed deeper concern about the escalating numbers, pointing to poor maternal health practices, self-medication, and harsh environmental factors as some of the contributing causes.

“As we look at the backbone of forming a child, there are basic ingredients the mother must have,” said Odur.

“These rotate around how does a mother feed? What are the medications that people are using within the community? Are they the correct medications that are recommended by the doctors? And the environment within which they live also does contribute.”

Odur emphasised the importance of quality antenatal care and preconception planning, warning that current efforts are overly reactive rather than preventive.

Hospital data reveals that between 30 and 45 children are assessed daily for suspected congenital anomalies, with at least five undergoing corrective surgery each day. Many of these cases could be mitigated with earlier intervention.

“Some mothers report for their first antenatal visit at six or seven months into pregnancy,” Odur noted.

“It could be as a result of women not attending antenatal care early enough. We recommend that in the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy, you must have visited the hospital already once, but we find mothers already coming for antenatal care when they’re six, seven months, and yet a baby is formed fully within 11 weeks.”

Routine scans during antenatal visits, he added, could help doctors detect structural abnormalities early and explore timely interventions. Dr Charles Newton Odongo, a pediatric surgeon at LRRH, the frequency and severity of birth defects in the region have become more than a medical duty, they are now a personal mission.

Odongo stressed that the surgeries, while lifesaving, are often extensive and complex. Some children require lifelong follow-up care, including psychological support and physical rehabilitation.

“Some of them have difficulty passing stool normally. They may leak stool and need constant intestinal cleaning and emotional support,” he explained. “Just imagine a child forced to pass poop from the belly.”

In 2024, Lira Regional Referral Hospital recorded 6,425 deliveries, of which 6,324 were live births. The hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admits an average of 80 babies monthly, including those with congenital conditions.

As birth defects continue to rise, medical professionals are urging communities to prioritize early antenatal visits, proper maternal nutrition, and preconception health education.