IMPLEMENTATION OF GIS FOR RESEARCH ON NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS (NTDS) IN CHINA

Geographic information systems (GIS) are a good platform to integrate natural and socio-economic environmental factors to analyze birth defects. In China, the incidence rate of birth defects, especially that of neural tube defects (NTDs) is at a very high level. NTDs are rare diseases and their pathogenesis is unclear. Their causes have a relationship with the environment and genes. Traditional statistical approach is not adequate to find the causes of the disease. Therefore, GIS has been introduced to aid research and intervention of birth defects in China. GIS methods have been used to explore the spatial data, to find out the clustering of NTDs, to identify relevant environmental factors and to promote results and technologies for research in other regions. The study area was located in Heshun County, Shanxi Province, northern China, a coal-intensive area, with a very high incidence rate of NTDs. The research advantages there include little change in living conditions and no large-scale population migration in recent history. Results indicate that NTDs rate is negatively associated with the distance from coal mines, rivers, faults and roads, health service, and net income but it is positively related with elevation, use of medical fertilizer and production of vegetables.

Previous research analyzed soil near a coal mining area at different distances and found that the contents of lead, arsenic had a positive association with the incidence of NTDs leading to the conclusion that in Wuxi County, Jiangsu Province, a woman with high arsenic exposure had a risk of a newborn affected with birth defects, 5.3 times more than that of a woman with low-arsenic exposure. This work provides policy advice to health sectors and helps lay a foundation for further interventions.