Birth defects increasing in Maldives

The number of babies born with birth defects in the Maldives has been rising in recent years.

Of 4,820 births during the past two years, 514 babies were born with defects, including 42 serious cases and 21 fatalities, newspaper Mihaaru reported, citing statistics made public Sunday by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital.

The most common defect was congenital heart disease with 102 cases in 2016 and 2017.

A national action plan to screen for critical congenital heart diseases in newborns was also launched at a function held yesterday on the occasion of World Birth Defects Day.