TITLE:
Is There a Relationship between COVID-19 Infection and the Occurrence of Anencephaly? Observation of the Maternity of Mohammed the VI University Hospital of Marrakech
AUTHORS:
Bouchra Fakhir, Mohammed Hicham Abdelkhalki, Yassir Ait Benkaddour, Karam Harrou, Ahlam Bassir, Abderrahim Aboulfalah, Hamid Asmouki, Abderraouf Soummani
KEYWORDS:
Anencephaly, Closure Neural Tube Anomaly, COVID-19, SARS Cov2, Malformation, Pandemic
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.13 No.1,
January
20,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Morocco has experienced, like the whole world, the COVID-19 pandemic. Until the writing of this article, a subjective observation of
the increase in the number of anencephaly has been observed in our facility. And
since the teratogenic potential of the SARS Cov 2 virus is not sufficiently documented,
we wondered if there would be a relationship between the relatively high number
of anencephalic fetuses and COVID-19 infection. Aim: the objective of the study is to look for a possible correlation between
the period of conception of these anencephalies and the pandemic. Material and
methods: This is a retrospective study (from June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2022 in
the Obstetrics Gynecology department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, CADI AYYAD
UNIVERSITY Marrakech Morocco) consisting
of the analysis of the number of patients in the target embryonic period (namely
the closure of the neural tube: D18 to D30 of embryonic life) compared to the reference
curves of the evolution of the SARS Cov2 pandemic. Results: The analysis
of the number of patients at the target embryonic phase shows that many of our anencephalons
(63%) were conceived during periods of high diffusion of the SARS Cov 2 virus in
Morocco. Conclusion: Our study suggests a relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic
and the occurrence of anencephaly, we cannot, however, highlight the type of direct
or indirect relationship that binds them. Therefore, further studies should be considered
to better investigate this relationship.