European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Introduction: Some congenital defects can be prevented in the pregestational stage. However, many health professionals are not prepared to provide counselling to couples regarding the same. Aims: To assess the awareness of health care professionals about congenital anomalies and pre-conception car. Materials and Methods: It is a cross-sectional study that was conducted online for a duration of 6 months. Data was collected using a pretested and structured questionnaire on basics of congenital anomalies & pre-conception care, which was shared through google forms in social media. Purposive sampling was adopted. Results: Our studied group included 246 participants. The mean score for awareness of congenital anomalies was 9.7±1.6, with median score of 10 (9-11). The mean score for awareness score of pre-conception care was 8.3±1.6, with median of 9 (7-10). About 90% knew exactly what constitutes congenital anomalies but only 22.3% knew that >70% of these congenital anomalies are preventable. Only 50% of participants knew that causes are not known, only risk factors are identified. 90% believe that consanguineous marriages are one of the causes of congenital anomalies which is false. 50% knew the timing of different screening tests done during pregnancy to detect congenital/fetal anomalies. 80 - 90% knew that Periconceptional care is needed for both men & women irrespective of their health status and <50% knew that it should be considered not only before conception, but also in planning for family, contraception. Even though more than 90% knew about few components of PCC, more than 50% are not aware of the dosage of Folic acid. Conclusions: Awareness among doctors (irrespective of gender, education qualification or profession) about congenital anomalies and PCC is good in some important respects (like all antenatally detected anomalies need not be terminated) and poor in basic aspects like aetiology, prevention and detection of congenital anomalies, indications of PCC.