Extended Spectrum Penicillins Reduce the Risk of Omphalocele: A Population-Based Case-Control Study

Finnish population study of 359 omphalocele cases found that maternal obesity, diabetes, and recurrent miscarriage increased risk, while first-trimester extended spectrum penicillin use showed unexpected protective effect. The co-occurrence of obesity and diabetes yielded five-fold increased risk, suggesting modifiable maternal factors play significant role in omphalocele formation.