Maternal Age at Birth and Gastroschisis Prevalence in the United States and Puerto Rico, 2000-2020.

ABSTRACT: Gastroschisis-a congenital anomaly where there is an opening at the connection of the embryonic ectoderm and the amnion at the pars flaccida, resulting in the intestines protruding outside the body-is serious and requires surgical repair. The strongest risk factor is young maternal age. This study describes gastroschisis prevalence in the United States and Puerto Rico during 2000-2020 and indirectly examines whether prevalence patterns may be explained by maternal age trends. Using data from state and territorial surveillance systems (n = 46 total; n = 18 for all years), we expressed gastroschisis prevalence as 5-year averages, with moving averages every 2 years. We calculated the expected prevalence of gastroschisis by applying previously published maternal age-based estimates to all US l

SUBMITTER: Petersen JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12228631 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep-Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature