Introduction.

Anorectal matformations are a group of congenital anomalies that have a multifactorial etiology, involving various genetic and environmental factors. Inhabitants living at high-altitude regions are exposed to chronic hypobaric hypoxia, which has been associated with a higher prevalence of congenital anomalies.

Objective.

It was aimed to investígate the prevalence of anorectal malformations in newborns from La Paz, Bolivia.

Material and methods.

We conducted a cross-sectional study. Newborns data were collected at the Hospital de la Mujer located in La Paz, Bolivia, at an average altitude of 3600 masl.

Results.

Out of 56,206 live births were registered during the study period. 30 newborns had anorectal malformations, resulting in a prevalence of 5.34 per 10,000 live births. This prevalence was higher than the previously reported in the literature, 3 per 10,000 live births.

Conclusions.

Our study depicts the prevalence of anorectal malformations is higher in the population of La Paz-Bolivia living at high-altitude, this when compared to previously reported prevalence in the literature. Further research is needed to identify the underlying genetic and environmental factors that contribute to this increased prevalence, as well as to improve diagnosis and monitoring systems.

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