The Frequency and Causes of Pes Equinavarus in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in a Tertiary Care Center From Eastern in Anatolia

Abstract

PEV is one of the most common deformities in the foot. The incidence of PEV varies between communities and many theories about its etiology have been proposed.In this study, we aimed to share our experience with the incidence and etiology of PEV in the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital. 3658 patients who werefollowed up in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit from 2014 to 2017 were included in the study. Data on the number and etiology of newborns with PEV deformitywere obtained from the automation records of our hospital. PEV deformity was diagnosed in 32 (0.87%) of 3658 babies treated in the neonatal intensive care unit overa period of 3 years. Of these 32 patients, 18 (56.25%) were bilateral, and 14 (43.75%) unilateral PEV. Two (6.25%) of our patients had a positive family history. While23(71.87%)) of our patients were delivered by cesarean, 9 (28,1%) of our patients were born normally. Considering birth weights, the number of babies born under 2500grams was 7 (21.8%), and the number of babies born above 2500 grams was 25 (78.1%). Considering the data we obtained at the end of the study, the incidence of PEVwas lower than in the literature. In fact, our hypothesis before starting the study was that the incidence of PEV was higher in the neonatal intensive care unit. Althoughthe frequency of PEV is known to vary between populations, the etiology of PEV is not fully known. We believe that future studies (such as genetic studies) will be morebeneficial to science than classical knowledge about PEV etiology.