Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Digestive congenital anomalies (DCA) remain a major yet unevenly distributed cause of death and disability worldwide. We aimed to quantify global, regional, and national trends in DCA prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2021. METHODS: We analyzed Global Burden of Disease 2021 data. Age-standardized rates and estimated annual percentage changes were calculated for five age groups: <1 year, 2-4 years, 5-14 years, 15-19 years, and 20-54 years. Future trajectories to 2036 were projected using an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. RESULTS: In 2021, infants accounted for the largest share of the burden, although their absolute incidence declined by 9% relative to 1990. High-socio-demographic index (SDI) regions achieved pronounced reductions in both mortality and DALYs, whereas low-SDI regions showed rising trends. Projections indicate a continued global increase in prevalence across all age groups, alongside further declines in infant and child mortality. DISCUSSION: Persistent inequities underscore the need for strengthened maternal-neonatal services, early surgical access, and targeted resource allocation in low-income settings. This integrated epidemiological overview provides an evidence base for prioritizing DCA within national child-health agendas and for monitoring progress toward Sustainable Development Goal targets.