Impact of Active Implementation of Prenatal Screening on Preventing Congenital Disabilities: A Study of 10,695 Pregnant Women

Abstract

Objective: To explore the impact of active implementation of prenatal screening on preventing congenital disabilities. Methods: A total of 10,695 pregnant women at Chenyang District Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning Service Center underwent prenatal screening between January 2021 to December 2023. These women were divided into two groups: 18 to 30 years old and 31 to 45 years old. High-risk rates of Down syndrome (DS), Edwards syndrome (ES), and neural tube defects (NTD) were compared between the two groups of pregnant women. Results: Among the 10,695 pregnant women who received prenatal screening, 1,588 were identified as high-risk. Pregnant women aged 31 to 45 years old showed higher high-risk rates of DS, ES, and NTD compared to those aged 18 to 30 years old (P < 0.05). The high-risk group demonstrated elevated rates of DS, ES, and NTD diagnoses (P < 0.05). Additionally, the high-risk group’s evaluation of spontaneous abortion rates exhibited higher levels, although not significantly different from the low-risk group (P > 0.05). Moreover, the high-risk group’s evaluation of congenital disabilities in pregnant women showed a significantly higher rate (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Prenatal screening enables the early detection of potential fetal problems, facilitating the implementation of corresponding measures to reduce the incidence of congenital disabilities.