title: [Epidemiologic surveillance of congenital abnormalities using the EUROCAT Register].
abstract: The EUROCAT programme is a concerted action of the European Economic Community for the epidemiologic surveillance of congenital anomalies. Surveillance is based on a network of regional registries coordinated by a central registry. The programme started in 1979 and by 1987, 23 centres were participating, covering together more than 300,000 births per year. The surveillance process implies the selection of the anomalies possibly associated with environmental teratogens or mutagens, the definition of abnormal variations in the rate of these anomalies (the alarms), the establishment of base-line rate and the continuous monitoring of rate. The programme is evaluated by reference to four criteria: the sensitivity of the system in detecting teratogens or mutagens, the specificity of alarms, the rapidity in warning of alarm and in investigating their causes, and the programme efficiency expressed as its cost-utility ratio.
authors.affiliation: Registre Central EUROCAT, Université Catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgique.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Wals
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dolk
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gillerot
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Weatherall
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lechat
mesh_terms: D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004526:Efficiency; D005060:Europe; D005062:European Union; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009153:Mutagens; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012042:Registries; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software / Q000191:economics; D013723:Teratogens
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D013723:Teratogens
vernacular_title: La surveillance épidémiologique des anomalies congénitales par le registre EUROCAT.