Assessment of Nurses’ Competency Level Regarding the Care of Infants with Congenital Anomalies of Central Nervous System

Abstract

Central nervous system (CNS) malformations are among the leading causes of infant morbidity and mortality and fetal loss. Congenital abnormalities (CA) of the CNS are birth defects of the physical structure of the brain or spinal cord that occur during fetal intrauterine growth. Neural tube defects (NTDs) account for the most congenital anomalies of the central nervous system and result from failure of the neural tube to close spontaneously between the 3rd and 4th week of embryonic development. Major neural tube defects include spina bifida occulta, meningocele, myelomeningocele and encephalocele. Hydrocephalus develops in at least 80% of patients with myelomeningocele. A wide range of factors can contribute to congenital CNS abnormalities, some are caused by genetic factors, others by environmental factors (Wolfsdorf, 2019).