title: Prevalence is the preferred measure of frequency of birth defects.
abstract: Researchers and other public health professionals continue to debate the use of prevalence versus incidence as the preferred term to represent the frequency of birth defects. This paper addresses this question by noting that incidence--the number of new cases of a disorder in a given at-risk population during a specified time period--cannot be reliably estimated with existing data. Consequently, it is not appropriate to use the term "incidence" in reporting the frequency of birth defects, and the term prevalence is recommended. The basis for this recommendation, and issues involved in calculating both measures, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA. craig.mason@umit.maine.edu
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: Russel S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: Lowell E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Sever
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Langlois
mesh_terms: D016001:Confidence Intervals; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012107:Research Design