Prenatally diagnosed microcephaly: a review of etiologies.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and etiology of prenatally diagnosed microcephaly. METHODS: Retrospective review of 10 years at a tertiary obstetrical hospital. The study population consisted of 21 infants with confirmed prenatal and postnatal microcephaly. RESULTS: There were 8 different definite/probable etiologies identified (viral, monochorionic twinning, genetic syndrome, neural tube defect, abnormal karyotype, hypoxic insult, constitutional). CONCLUSIONS: Retrospective study indicates the commonest etiologies for prenatal microcephaly are in utero infection, monochorionic twin insult, rare genetic syndrome and chromosomal anomalies.