Trends and predictors of incidence of hypospadias in a tertiary hospital in South Africa

Abstract Background Hypospadias is a penile congenital abnormality characterized by an ectopic urethral opening, ventral curvature and incomplete foreskin closure with a dorsal hooded prepuce. Management of the outcome demands high cost. The aim of this study was to determine the trends and predictors of hypospadias among babies born at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital between 01 January 2014 and 31 December 2016. Methods Mothers’ files from the transfer unit of the labour ward were reviewed. A case–control study compared boys with hypospadias and those without born approximately at the same time. Data were retrospectively collected on data collection forms. EpiData version 3.1 and STATA version 15.1 were used for statistical analysis. The Mantel Haenszel method determined combined odds ratios for hypospadias outcome on boys whose mothers were exposed to certain conditions versus boys of unexposed mothers. Woolf’s method was used to compute confidence intervals of the odds ratios. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the independent contributing maternal factors to the risk of hypospadias. Results Records of 221 male babies were collected of which 73 were cases and 148 controls in the ratio of 1:2. Hypospadias was more frequent in boys born by Caesarean Section (p < 0.001), those with low birth weight (p < 0.001) and those small for gestational age (p < 0.002). Alcohol use (odds ratio 3.1), smoking (odds ratio 1.54), herbal use (odds ratio 2.05), medical history (odds ratio 2.8), multiple pregnancies (odds ratio 1.69) and maternal congenital abnormalities (odds ratio 3.03) indicated an increased risk of hypospadias. Surgical history (odds ratio 1.29), pre-natal vaccination (odds ratio 0.92), employment (odds ratio 0.85), and education (odds ratio 0.48) were not associated with the risk of hypospadias. Conclusions Mothers older than 36 years presented a stratifying effect on disease outcome. Our findings did not indicate major changes in trends of incidence of hypospadias. The years assessed did not have a significant effect on the number of cases.