The tip of the iceberg: a validation study of the Victorian Congenital Malformations/Birth Defects Register.
Among 1500 children under 4 years of age admitted consecutively to two paediatric teaching hospitals in Victoria in 1985 the prevalence of birth defects was 20%. Fewer than half of these defects had been notified to the Victorian Congenital Malformations Register. Only chromosomal anomalies and, to a lesser extent, major structural malformations present at birth were adequately ascertained. The implications for birth defects monitoring and for service planning are discussed.
Lumley
J
J
Perinatal Data Collection Unit, Victorian Health Department, Melbourne, Australia.
Palma
S
S
Fischer
M
M
Robertson
H
H
D002675:Child, Preschool; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012042:Registries; D013577:Syndrome; D014739:Victoria