Anterior abdominal wall agenesis associated with cardiac exstrophy and macrocephaly in a gold mining area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: management and prognosis in a resource-limited area

Abstract

Congenital malformations, which are responsible for thousands of neonatal deaths every year, are prevalent in low-resource countries. Severe birth defects are mainly multifactorial but their occurrence may be exacerbated by low socioeconomic conditions and environmental factors, especially in mining areas. A male neonate delivered, at term, by caesarean section from a 23-year-old woman presented multiple malformations (cardiac exstrophy, abdominal agenesis) and died 12 h after birth. The (non-consanguineous) father was an artisanal gold miner. No genetic or further morphological testing was done due to lack of resources. The present case of severe congenital malformation in a gold mining area of the Democratic Republic of Congo, illustrates the challenges associated with the lack of specialized antenatal and neonatal care in a resource-poor country.