Birth characteristics of different ocular congenital abnormalities in hungary.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence at birth of different ocular congenital abnormalities and to describe their birth characteristics in Hungary.


METHODS
Two data sets were evaluated: the national-based Hungarian Congenital Abnormality Registry and the Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities which include cases with ocular abnormalities and patient controls with other (non-ocular) congenital abnormalities, and population controls without abnormalities from the National Birth Registry.


RESULTS
Seven hundred twelve cases were found with ocular abnormalities in the data set of the Hungarian Congenital Abnormality Registry (2.62 per 10,000 live births), while that of the Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities included 314 cases with ocular defects among 2.7 million live births in Hungary between 1980 and 2002. There was an obvious underascertainment and/or notification of cases with ocular defects because an extra effort to ascertain all cases with ocular abnormalities resulted in a birth prevalence of 6.31 per 10,000 live births in 1999. The main birth characteristics of cases were male excess, shorter mean gestational age and smaller mean birth weight with a larger proportion of preterm birth and low birthweight.


CONCLUSIONS
Earlier diagnosis of ocular abnormalities is necessary with a more complete notification of these cases to the Hungarian Congenital Abnormality Registry. The birth characteristics of cases with ocular abnormalities may have some associations with the origin of ocular defects; therefore, these variables will require further studies in case-control approach.
Vogt
Gábor
G
Hospital and Central Outpatients Clinics of the Hungarian State Railways, Budapest, Hungary. gabor.vogt@tosho.hu
Szunyogh
Melinda
M
Czeizel
Andrew E
AE
D001724:Birth Weight; D005124:Eye Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies