title: Microcephaly in Brazil: prevalence and characterization of cases from the Information System on Live Births (Sinasc), 2000-2015.
abstract: to describe the prevalence coefficients and characterize cases of microcephaly at birth in Brazil from 2000-2015.
  
  
  
  this is a descriptive study with data from the Information System on Live Births (Sinasc). The coefficients were calculated by region and characteristics of mothers and live births (LB).
  
  
  
  the annual average number of microcephaly cases was 164 for the period 2000-2014, whilst in 2015, 1,608 cases were registered (54.6 cases per 100 thousand LB). Higher coefficients were observed among preterm babies (81.7; 95%CI 72.3;92.2), born from black-skinned (70.9; 95%CI 58.5;85.9) or to brown-skinned (71.5; 95%CI67.4;75.8) women, to women aged ≤19 (70.3; 95%CI 63.5;77.8) or ≥40 (62.1; 95%CI 46.6;82.6), with ≤3 years of study (73.4; 95%CI 58.2;92.4) and residents in the Northeast region (138.7; 95%CI 130.9;147.0).
  
  
  
  the high number of microcephaly cases in 2015 reinforces the importance of Sinasc and the need to improve the surveillance of congenital anomalies.
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Valdelaine Etelvina Miranda de
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Denise Lopes
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Porto
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Helena Luna
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marta Roberta Santana
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Roberto Carlos Reyes
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Lecca
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Helio de
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ivana Pereira de Almeida
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Poncioni
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Helian Nunes
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Maranhão
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Yluska Myrna Meneses Brandão E
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Roberto Men
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Raquel Barbosa de
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília-DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Dácio de Lyra
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Rabello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007256:Information Systems; D050498:Live Birth / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008423:Maternal Age; D008831:Microcephaly / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult