Gaza Experiences Surge in Stillbirths and Birth Defects Among Pregnant Women

Gaza Sees Surge in Congenital Anomalies and Stillbirths Amid Ongoing Conflict

A recent increase in congenital anomalies and stillbirths has been reported in Gaza, with cases doubling compared to 2022. According to the Ministry of Health, there was a 140 percent rise in stillbirths during the same period. The number of neonatal deaths also increased by 50 percent, reaching 457 last year.

At Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, newborn babies are being treated for severe congenital anomalies linked to the ongoing conflict. Two-month-old Osama was born with a hole in his heart and enlarged ventricles in his brain. His mother, Najia Zurub, has been staying at the hospital since her birth due to exhaustion from lack of food.

Health officials attribute the surge in cases to five main factors: widespread hunger, decline in healthcare services, overcrowding, exposure to contaminated drinking water, and ongoing effects of Israeli air attacks. Zaher al-Wahidi, director of the Health Information Unit, stated that these factors contribute to the high number of congenital anomalies.

Paediatrician Asaad al-Nawajha expressed concern over internal anomalies affecting vital organs, which typically develop when a fetus is exposed to adverse environmental factors during the first trimester. With medical resources depleted, doctors warn that some affected babies cannot be treated.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant physical and emotional strain on Palestinian women, with many unable to carry their pregnancies to term due to Israeli bombardment. The number of live births in Gaza plummeted by over 30 percent at the height of the Israeli attacks, although numbers have recovered slightly since last year’s “ceasefire”.

Despite a reduction in bombings, the death toll continues to rise, and Palestinians point out that Israel’s daily attacks on Gaza continue. Newborns at Nasser Hospital face a different struggle against the consequences of war ravaged upon their fragile bodies.

Source: Al Jazeera