Malformations reported in chorionic villus sampling exposed children: a review and analytic synthesis of the literature.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the frequency of vascular disruption defects, other than limb defects, is increased in reports of chorionic villus sampling (CVS) exposed children compared with an unexposed population.


METHODS
Only studies that reported the total number of CVS-exposed pregnancies and details of pregnancy outcome, including all the malformations, were included. Twenty-five articles met these criteria.


RESULTS
The frequencies of gastroschisis, intestinal atresias, and clubfoot were significantly increased among the CVS-exposed infants as compared with the baseline unexposed population. The frequencies of other vascular disruption defects, including Poland sequence, amniotic band sequence, and cleft lip/cleft palate, were not increased.


CONCLUSIONS
CVS-exposed children have an increased frequency of intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, and clubfoot compared with the nonexposed population. The fact that an increased frequency of other defects attributed to vascular disruption was not found may be due to under-ascertainment, misclassification, or "lumping" of the defects identified in previous studies.
Pediatric Service, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School 02114, USA.
J M
JM
Stoler
C K
CK
McGuirk
E
E
Lieberman
L
L
Ryan
L B
LB
Holmes
D015193:Chorionic Villi Sampling / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy