BACKGROUND: ANENCEPHALY is a neural tube defect incompatible with life. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the prevalence of ANENCEPHALY in Gorgan, northern Iran.METHODS: During 1998 - 2005, 49,534 newborns at Dezyani hospital in Gorgan were screened for neural tube defects. Clinical and demographic data of the diagnosed cases were recorded in a pre-designed questionnaire for analysis. These data included sex, ethnicity, parental consanguinity, and residential area.RESULTS: The overall prevalence of neural tube defects and ANENCEPHALY were 28 and 12 per 10000 births, respectively. The prevalence of ANENCEPHALY was 11 and 12 per 10000 births in male and female newborns, respectively. Considering the parental ethnicity, the prevalence of ANENCEPHALY was 12, 16, and 7 per 10000 in Fars, Turkman, and Sistani ethnicity, respectively. The prevalence of ANENCEPHALY was 13.1/10000 in newborns with mothers aged >35 years. Consanguinity was seen in 36% of the parents. The highest rate of ANENCEPHALY occurred in 1999 (23/10000) and the least was in 2003 (2/10000). The most prevalent season for the occurrence of ANENCEPHALY was winter (16/10000).CONCLUSION: The present study indicated that the prevalence of ANENCEPHALY among Iranian newborns in northern Iran was higher than in the European population.

Background and Aim: Organ transplantation is one of the medical science achievements that today faces new challenges, such as access to new resources to resolve the shortage of organs, especially for children. After scientists' consensus on non-vital organs transplantation and patients with brain death transplantation, a new proposal was provided in the medical community to use anencephalic newborns as a new source for transplantation. ANENCEPHALY is a fetal abnormality caused by a defect in the neural tube closure in the fetal head. Babies with this defect often die before birth, and who born alive are unconscious and die within the first few hours after birth. In this study, we seek to answer the question of whether donating organs of such infants is compatible with the jurisprudential and legal principles of our society or not. Materials and Methods: In present descriptive-analytical article, it is analyzed based on legal jurisprudential texts, after stating the proponents of this theory reasons. Findings: Although some Western thinkers agree with this theory for reasons such as the similarity of these patients to brain death and the existence of parental consent, there are objections to each of these reasons that lead to the rejection of the above theory. After explaining the proponents’ reasons and criticizing it, an alternative proposal according with the jurisprudential and moral principles of the society is presented. According to this proposal, there should be no restrictions on non-vital organ donation by anencephalic neonates if there is parental consent.

Background: In Legal Medicine Organization of Tehran, the accepted requests for therapeutic abortions are registered and the data of rejected requests would not be recorded. So, the data of all requests for therapeutic abortions, the frequency of accepted and rejected ones and their causes are not clear. In this study, all the requests for therapeutic abortions referred to Legal Medicine Organization of Tehran during 2008 were evaluated.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on all pregnant women who referred to gynecologic ward of Legal Medicine Organization of Tehran for therapeutic abortion during 2008. The data related to fetal and maternal age, history of previous pregnancies and indications for acceptance or rejections of the requests were gathered by the examiner physician. The data were analyzed using the SPSS ver.13.Findings: During the study period, 774 requests for therapeutic abortions were evaluated, 556 requests (71.8%) were accepted and 218 requests (2.28%) were rejected. Fetal abnormalities and maternal illnesses were the indications for request acceptance in about 80% and 20 % of cases respectively. The most common fetal abnormality was ANENCEPHALY, which accounts for 21.5% (99 cases) of fetal indications. In maternal illnesses, cardiovascular disorders were the most frequent one (26 cases). In 90 cases, the requests were rejected due to increased age of the fetus. Other causes of request rejection were drug usage of the mother (30 cases), infectious diseases in the mother (18 cases) and exposure to ionizing radiation (17 cases).Conclusion: The results of this study showed that requests for therapeutic abortion were not accepted in about one third of cases and the most common cause of request rejection was the increased age of fetus. Providing educations about the law of therapeutic abortion, on time screening for fetal abnormalities and early referral of the cases in whom therapeutic abortion is indicated would be necessary.

INTRODUCTION: Neural tube defects (NTD) especially spina bifida and ANENCEPHALY are the important causes of death in newborns and infants. The incidence of the disease varies through the world and it is estimated that more than 300/000 infants are born with neural tube defect annually. This study was performed in sanandaj besat hospital of Kurdestan province to determin the incidence and epidemiologyical character of the disease. MATEREALS & METHODS: This study was cross sectional and the population under study included 14915 infants born in behsat hospital during 1999-2002. Statistical analysis was done by K2 and T-test using spss win sovftware.RESULTS: Of 14915 newborn infants who was studied 93 had NTD (Incidence rate 6.23 per 1000 birth). The incidence of ANENCEPHALY and spinal bifidia in the population under study was 1.87 and 1.94 Per 1000 birth respectively.CONCLUSION: With respect to the result of this study we concluded that the incidence of NTD in sanandaj behsat hospital is higher than the incidence of the disease in the other parts of the world. A long - term study in Kurdistan province to obtain the incidence and causes of the disease is suggested.

and Objective: Neural tube defect is one of the most important malformations of the newborns. The aim of this study was to investigate the rates of NTD, ANENCEPHALY, spina-bifida cystica, encephalocele and the relation of these abnormalities with sex, ethnicity, mother"s age and consanguineous marriage in north of Iran (Gorgan). Materials and methods: A cross - sectional study was done on 26280 birth in Dezyani hospital in Gorgan during 1998 - 2001. Results: This study has showed that, the NTD rate was 3.08, 2.78 and 3.38 per 1000 in total, males and females, respectively, female to male ratio was 1.31. The rate of spina-bifida, ANENCEPHALY and encephalocele were 1.48, 1.48, 0.11 per 1000, respectively. In regard to different races, the rate was 6.7811000, 4.76/1000 and 2.41/1000 among Turkmans, Systanis and native Fars, respectively (P<0.05). The rate of NTD in the mothers under 20 years was 2.29/1000, in 20-34 years was 3.37/1000 and over 35 years was 2.54/1000. Interstingly, 29.6% of parents with affected newborns had consanguineous marriange. Conclusions: We concluded that there is a higher rate of NTD in this, area, that it might be due to race - ethnicity variations.

Background: Neural Tube Defect (NTD) characterized by failure of neural tube to close properly be the second most common born defect after congenital heart disease. The most prevalent forms of NTD are ANENCEPHALY and Spinal-bifida. Many factors are involved in this anomaly. New researches suggest environmental factors like radiation, hyperthermia, Vitamin A and acid folic deficiency, anti epileptic drug like Carbamazepine, Phenobarbital, phenytoin, Folic acid antagonist like Sulfasalazine, Triametherine and systemic disease like diabet mellitus, obesity, genetic factors, the most schance 40 to 70 percentages.Methods: In this survey cross sectional study was conducted in five hospitals depend to Tehran university during three years. Study subject identified through review of admission and discharge at major hospital through regular contact with newborn nurseries and birth hospital.Results: In 38473 reported cases, 143 cases have neural tube defect. Among NTD cases, 11.9% of mothers had medical diseases in their previous history such as diabetes mellitus, epilepsy-psychiatric, and disorder-heart diseases. In this study group, 5.6% have preclampsia during pregnancy period. The most common NTD anomaly in this study was ANENCEPHALY and meningomyelocele that was different from studies in literature.Conclusion: NTD result from failure of neural tube close threats fetus health up to 28 days after conception. When is often prior to the recognition of pregnancy since many pregnancy are unplanned NTD prevention is best achieve by adequate daily folic acid intake thought of reproductive ages .educational effort to promote daily intake of folic acid supplemental by women of reproductive age and NTD risk factor should be done.Early diagnostic procedure for high risk pregnancy advised.

History & Objective: Neural tube defects (NTD) resulting from failure of neural closure during early embryogenesis can lead to a spectrum of cranial and spinal defects. While prevalence of these anomalies is decreasing in developed countries, no reliable data is available with respect to the prevalence of NTD in Kermanshah. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of NTD among babies who were born between 1997 and 1998 at Motazedi Maternity Hospital in Kermanshah. Materials & Methods: Diagnosis of malformation was done through clinical examination of the babies by a pediatrician. The data of this descriptive analytical research was obtained from the existing files at the hospital. The data included information about sex and vital signs of the baby, mother's age and her residence; time and kind of delivery, history of diabetes, abortion and gravida. Statistical analysis of the collected data by X2-test showed 65 of 9769 babies who were born during 1997 and 1998 suffered from NTD (i.e. NTD prevalence in alive and still-births was 6.7 per 1000). Results: This study revealed the highest prevalence of NTD was 8.9% and in fall. 43% of NTD cases were still-born. Female to male ratio for ANENCEPHALY was 3.9% but this ratio with respect to other anomalies was 1.4%. Discussion: Since the result of this study is not congruent with other studies done in Iran, further studies 'are required to gain a better understanding of the prevalence of NTD.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of ANENCEPHALY and coincidental abnormalities and determine the impact of marriage of relatives on their incidence in tabriz during (1997-2003). Materials and Methods: 21074 pregnant women were examined using ultrasonography in Tabriz Fagr clinic. Presence or absence of any congenital abnormalities or other complications were recorded and followed up.Results: Results of this study indicated 29 cases of ANENCEPHALY. The prevalence of ANENCEPHALY was 1.3 per 1000, of these, (20.68%) fetuses had isolated malformation and (79.31%) fetuses had coincidental abnormalities. The prevalence of ANENCEPHALY was not significantly affected by marriage of relatives (p=0.4). Conclusion: The results of the study necessitates an early and careful sonography to avoid giving birth to newborn whit central nervous system abnormalities.

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the eventual association between copper deficiency in newborns with neural tube defects (NTD) in Northern Iran. A high prevalence of neural tube defects has been reported from this region.Methods: This hospital based case control study was carried out on 13 newborns having neural tube defects and 35 healthy controls in Northern Iran during 2005-2006. Serum copper was measured by spectrophotometer.Findings: Serum copper level in newborns with NTD and healthy normal newborns was 16.5 (±7.2) mmol/l and 16.7 (±6.6) mmol/l, respectively. In case group 38.5% of newborns and in control group 28.6% had copper deficiency. Logistic regression analysis showed no association between the presence of NTD and copper deficiency (OR: 1.6, 95% CI=0.3-7.1, P=0.5).Conclusion: This study showed no association between NTD and copper deficiency in newborns.