Obstetric Ultrasound Screening in Lebanon for Fetal Diagnosis and Associated Factors of Congenital Abnormalities

Chebl, Rita; Nader, Ingrid; Saba, Michel; Attieh, Cecile Z.; Kattan, Ogarite; Nohra, Lea; Henaine, Anna-Maria A.; El Khoury, Sarah; Nassar, Malek N.; Nakhel, Pierre; El Asmar, Béchara; Chahine, Mirna N.

doi:10.3390/children12081076

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Obstetric Ultrasound Screening in Lebanon for Fetal Diagnosis and Associated Factors of Congenital Abnormalities

by

Rita Chebl

^1,†,

Ingrid Nader

^1,†,

Michel Saba

^1,‡,

Cecile Z. Attieh

^2,‡,

Ogarite Kattan

^1,‡,

Lea Nohra

^1,‡,

Anna-Maria A. Henaine

^3,‡,

Sarah El Khoury

⁴,

Malek N. Nassar

^4,5

,

Pierre Nakhel

^1,6

,

Béchara El Asmar

^4,7,8 and

Mirna N. Chahine

^4,9,10,11,*

¹

Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath P.O. Box 3, Lebanon

²

Faculty of Medicine &Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Koura Campus, Tripoli P.O. Box 100, Lebanon

³

Faculty of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Hadath P.O. Box 3, Lebanon

⁴

Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta, Order of Malta Lebanon, Vanlian Bldg, 6th Fl. City Rama Str. Dekwaneh, Beirut P.O. Box 11-4286, Lebanon

⁵

Department of Obstetrics and Reproduction, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Beirut P.O. Box 11-5190, Lebanon

⁶

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath P.O. Box 3, Lebanon

⁷

Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut P.O. Box 17-5208, Lebanon

⁸

Department of Cardiology, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Beirut P.O. Box 11-5190, Lebanon

⁹

Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts & Sciences, University of Balamand, Dekwaneh Campus, Sin-el-Fil P.O. Box 55251, Lebanon

¹⁰

Foundation-Medical Research Institutes (F-MRI^®), P.O. Box 166378 Beirut, Lebanon

¹¹

Foundation-Medical Research Institutes (F-MRI^®), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland

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^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

^‡

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Children 2025, 12(8), 1076; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12081076

Submission received: 18 July 2025 / Revised: 8 August 2025 / Accepted: 12 August 2025 / Published: 15 August 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Pediatric Neonatology)

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Abstract

Background and Objectives: Congenital abnormalities are a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality and are frequently detectable through prenatal ultrasound. While widely implemented in high-income countries, such screening remains inconsistently applied in low- and middle-income regions. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of congenital abnormalities identified via prenatal ultrasound in Lebanon and to explore associated maternal, obstetric, and psychosocial factors. Methods: A multicenter retrospective observational study, supplemented by follow-up interviews, was conducted in five Order of Malta medical centers. Pregnant women in their second trimester underwent an obstetric ultrasound, and data were collected through structured questionnaires and follow-up phone interviews. Variables included maternal demographics, obstetric history, anxiety levels (GAD-7 scores), and ultrasound findings. Results: A total of 426 pregnant women were enrolled (mean age: 28.8 ± 5.9 years). The overall prevalence of congenital abnormalities was 13.1%. Growth abnormalities were observed in 8.5% of fetuses and were significantly associated with obstetric complications and the presence of multiple abnormalities. Morphological malformations were found in 10.1% of cases and were more common among women of advanced maternal age, those with a history of anomalies, and those reporting elevated anxiety scores. Combined abnormalities, as well as growth and morphological malformations, were significantly associated with higher parity, prior anomalies, and current pregnancy complications. Conclusions: Prenatal ultrasound is essential for early detection of congenital abnormalities, facilitating timely intervention and improved neonatal outcomes. These findings emphasize the need to integrate systematic screening into prenatal care in Lebanon and for ongoing research to identify context-specific risk factors.

Keywords: obstetric ultrasound; screening; congenital abnormalities; Lebanon

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MDPI and ACS Style

Chebl, R.; Nader, I.; Saba, M.; Attieh, C.Z.; Kattan, O.; Nohra, L.; Henaine, A.-M.A.; El Khoury, S.; Nassar, M.N.; Nakhel, P.; et al. Obstetric Ultrasound Screening in Lebanon for Fetal Diagnosis and Associated Factors of Congenital Abnormalities. Children 2025, 12, 1076. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12081076

AMA Style

Chebl R, Nader I, Saba M, Attieh CZ, Kattan O, Nohra L, Henaine A-MA, El Khoury S, Nassar MN, Nakhel P, et al. Obstetric Ultrasound Screening in Lebanon for Fetal Diagnosis and Associated Factors of Congenital Abnormalities. Children. 2025; 12(8):1076. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12081076

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chebl, Rita, Ingrid Nader, Michel Saba, Cecile Z. Attieh, Ogarite Kattan, Lea Nohra, Anna-Maria A. Henaine, Sarah El Khoury, Malek N. Nassar, Pierre Nakhel, and et al. 2025. "Obstetric Ultrasound Screening in Lebanon for Fetal Diagnosis and Associated Factors of Congenital Abnormalities" Children 12, no. 8: 1076. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12081076

APA Style

Chebl, R., Nader, I., Saba, M., Attieh, C. Z., Kattan, O., Nohra, L., Henaine, A.-M. A., El Khoury, S., Nassar, M. N., Nakhel, P., El Asmar, B., & Chahine, M. N. (2025). Obstetric Ultrasound Screening in Lebanon for Fetal Diagnosis and Associated Factors of Congenital Abnormalities. Children, 12(8), 1076. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12081076

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Obstetric Ultrasound Screening in Lebanon for Fetal Diagnosis and Associated Factors of Congenital Abnormalities

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