Doctors report surge in premature births and congenital defects in Gaza

The Gaza Health Ministry has warned of a sharp rise in birth defects and premature births in the Gaza Strip, linking the trend to widespread malnutrition and severe shortages of medical supplies.

Dr Ahmed Al-Farra, head of the paediatrics and obstetrics department at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, said hospitals are recording a monthly increase in cases of congenital abnormalities and early deliveries, particularly between the 30th and 36th weeks of pregnancy.

In a press statement issued on Thursday, Al-Farra said most newborns are arriving with critically low birth weights, often below 2,000 grams, as a result of maternal malnutrition during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. He explained that the lack of nutritious food and essential supplements, including iron, is preventing normal fetal development, particularly of the nervous system.

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He added that polluted drinking water and prolonged exposure to smoke from burning firewood are among the leading factors contributing to birth defects in pregnant women.

According to Al-Farra, doctors are now seeing rare and severe congenital conditions, including tumours present at birth, heart and digestive system malformations, incomplete brain development, and cases of babies born without an anus or with disconnected intestines.

He said some newborns die within days of birth, while others require urgent surgical procedures or prolonged intravenous feeding in order to survive, placing additional strain on Gaza’s overstretched health system.

Al-Farra noted that neonatal mortality rates have risen dramatically during the war, increasing from nine deaths per 1,000 live births to around 35 per 1,000 live births over the past two years, underscoring what health officials describe as a deepening humanitarian and medical crisis in the Gaza Strip.

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