title: Influenza epidemics and anencephaly.
abstract: To explore the postulated association between maternal influenza and congenital defects of the central nervous system, 14 virologically verified epidemics in Finland, 1969-82, were studied. Mothers of 248 anencephalic children were grouped into those whose first trimester had occurred during an epidemic period and those whose pregnancy had commenced during a non-epidemic period. No significant differences in prevalence of anencephaly were noted in these groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saxén
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Holmberg
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurppa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kuosma
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pyhälä
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000757:Anencephaly / Q000209:etiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*