MORTALITY FROM CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS IN BRAZIL: TEMPORAL EVOLUTION, SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE AND REGIONAL INEQUALITIES, 2010–2024

Abstract

Objective: To analyze mortality from congenital malformations in Brazil from 2010 to 2024, considering temporal evolution, sex distribution, and regional inequalities. Method: Ecological time-series study using data from the Brazilian Mortality Information System (SIM/DATASUS), including deaths whose underlying cause was classified in Chapter XVII of ICD-10 (Q00--Q99). Records were grouped into three five-year periods: 2010--2014, 2015--2019, and 2020--2024. Absolute and relative frequencies, sex ratio, and percentage change between the third and first periods were calculated. Result: A total of 159,703 deaths were recorded: 53,163 in the first period, 55,330 in the second, and 51,210 in the third, corresponding to a 3.67% reduction between the extreme periods. There was a slight male predominance and an absolute concentration of deaths in the Southeast and Northeast. Cardiac categories, especially Q24 and Q21, were among those with the greatest magnitude. Conclusion: Differences among regions and Federative Units reveal territorial heterogeneity and reinforce the need for continuous improvement of surveillance, timely diagnosis, and regionally organized care for people with congenital anomalies.