[Prevalence and geographic distribution of spina bifida aperta in West Germany].
In a national study the prevalence of open meningocele and myelomeningocele as well as the geographical distribution in the Federal Republic of Germany was determined among the life-born infants during 1982 and 1983. The prevalence rates of the single districts and states and the federal territory were established based upon standardized reports of nearly all Children's Hospitals, Departments of Child Surgery and the major Centers of Neurosurgery. In Hamburg the study was extended by establishing the number of abortions because of medical indications after the prenatal diagnosis of a myelomeningocele. In 1982 and 1983 there were 354 resp. 342 infants born with an open myelomeningocele, thus the prevalence rate was 0.569 and 0.575/1000 live births. The average prevalence rate was 0.57/1000 live births. Compared with international studies our data are corresponding with reports from countries with a relative low frequency. The prevalence rates of the states in the federal territory differ between 0.42/1000 live births in Hamburg and 0.78/1000 in Bremen; these differences are not statistically significant. In 9 from 247 districts, the reported rates were significantly higher than the average rate. Because of the small number of children born with this malformation in the single districts, any conclusions from these results are not warranted. Quite different from reports of other countries (Great Britain, United States of America) this study did not show essential geographic differences in the federal territory. Prenatal diagnosis and subsequent termination of pregnancy lowered the prevalence rate of open meningomyelocele at birth in Hamburg from 0.61/1000 to 0.42/1000.
Lüder
S
S
Kinderklinik, Univ.-Krankenhauses Eppendorf.
Schulte
F J
FJ
D000025:Abortion, Eugenic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005860:Germany, West; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis
Prävalenz und geographische Verteilung der Spina bifida aperta in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.