Impact of demographic factors on prenatal diagnosis and elective pregnancy termination because of abdominal wall defects, Hawaii, 1986-1997.
OBJECTIVE
The intent of this study was to investigate the impact of various demographic factors on the antenatal diagnosis and elective termination of abdominal wall defect pregnancies.


METHODS
Data were obtained from a birth defects registry in Hawaii between 1986 and 1997.


RESULTS
The antenatal diagnosis rate was higher for gastroschisis than for omphalocele (76 vs. 60%). However, gastroschisis pregnancies were substantially less frequently electively terminated than omphalocele pregnancies (8 vs. 29%). Factors such as year of diagnosis and delivery, maternal age, race/ethnicity, residence, and maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein screening affected the prenatal diagnosis and/or elective termination of both omphalocele and gastroschisis pregnancies, but frequently in different ways.


CONCLUSIONS
This investigation determined that antenatal diagnosis and elective termination varied with the type of abdominal wall defect and selected demographic factors.
Hawaii Birth Defects Program, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, USA.
M B
MB
Forrester
R D
RD
Merz
D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000002:abnormalities*; D000025:Abortion, Eugenic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D003710:Demography; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D020139:Gastroschisis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D006554:Hernia, Umbilical / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012042:Registries; D014505:Urban Population; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins