Rate of fetal deformities in KSA not high

Dr. Yasser Saber, a consultant in maternal fetal medicine and assistant professor at the Medical School of King Saud University, said that the rate of embryo deformations among Saudis is consistent with international rates, resting at about 3 percent of all births.
He affirmed that inbreeding among relatives remains one of the main causes for these fetal deformations in the Kingdom.
Saber revealed that thorough and accurate studies are currently under way at King Saud University in order to more specifically identify the frequencies and particular types of such fetal deformations. “The highest rates of deformation are typically concentrated in the urinary and nervous systems,” he explained.
With regard to early detection of deformations, he noted that the level of amniotic fluid in cases of normal pregnancies should not measure less than 5 centimeters when examined on ultrasound. He added that low levels of amniotic fluid can give clear indications regarding the health of the fetus and the functions of the fetus’s kidneys. “If a pregnant woman is diagnosed by her doctor as having low levels of amniotic fluid ahead of delivery, this can mean that the fetus is suffering from deformations inside the womb,” he said.
He also said that the age of a pregnant woman has a lot to do with the safety of the fetus, as women above 35 years of age who become pregnant may suffer from an increased likelihood of fetal deformations in their babies, according to well-established studies.