title: Oesophageal atresia and tracheo-oesophageal fistula in Western Australia: Prevalence and trends.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A recent international study reported a higher prevalence of oesophageal atresia with or without tracheo-oesophageal fistula (OA±TOF) in Western Australia (WA). The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and trends of OA and/or TOF in WA, determine the proportion of cases with associated anomalies and explore the impact of time of diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population comprised all infants born in WA, 1980-2009, and registered with OA and/or TOF on the WA Register of Developmental Anomalies (WARDA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  OA±TOF and TOF alone affect, on average, one in every 2927 births in WA, with a total prevalence of 3.00 and 0.42 per 10 000 births, respectively. The prevalence of OA±TOF increased by 2.0% per annum, with only cases with associated anomalies (64% of cases) demonstrating an increase. TOF rates were stable. Among OA±TOF infants, the proportion of live births, stillbirths and elective terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly (TOPFA) was 79%, 6% and 15%, respectively, whereas the majority (94%) of TOF only cases were live births. In 2000-2009, there was 30% fall in OA±TOF live births with 61 (58%) cases diagnosed in first week of life, 10 (9%) prenatally and 34 (32%) at post-mortem only.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A higher prevalence of OA±TOF in WA was observed with increase over time attributable to increase with associated anomalies. Consistent reporting, availability of prenatal diagnosis and ascertainment of cases following TOPFA or post-mortem examinations can significantly affect prevalence of OA and/or TOF.
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leoncini
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Western Australian Register of Developmental Anomalies, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bower
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Population Perinatal Health Research, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nassar
mesh_terms: D004933:Esophageal Atresia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D014138:Tracheoesophageal Fistula / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: epidemiology; oesophageal atresia; pregnancy; prevalence; tracheo-oesophageal fistula