The Danish Fetal Medicine database.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to set up a database in order to monitor the detection rates and false-positive rates of first-trimester screening for chromosomal abnormalities and prenatal detection rates of fetal malformations in Denmark.


METHODS
Pregnant women with a first or second trimester ultrasound scan performed at all public hospitals in Denmark are registered in the database.
Data on maternal characteristics, ultrasonic, and biochemical variables are continuously sent from the fetal medicine units' Astraia databases to the central database via web service. Information about outcome of pregnancy (miscarriage, termination, live birth, or stillbirth) is received from the National Patient Register and National Birth Register and linked via the Danish unique personal registration number. Furthermore, results of all pre- and postnatal chromosome analyses are sent to the database.


CONCLUSIONS
It has been possible to establish a fetal medicine database, which monitors first-trimester screening for chromosomal abnormalities and second-trimester screening for major fetal malformations with the input from already collected data. The database is valuable to assess the performance at a regional level and to compare Danish performance with international results at a national level.
Department of Obstetrics, Center of Fetal Medicine, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Charlotte Kvist
CK
Ekelund
Registry Support Centre (East) - Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Glostrup, Denmark.
Tine Iskov
TI
Kopp
Department of Obstetrics, Center of Fetal Medicine, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ann
A
Tabor
Fetal Medicine Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus Nord, Denmark.
Olav Bjørn
OB
Petersen
chromosomal abnormalities; fetal malformations; nuchal translucency; prenatal screening