PMID: 6162298Jan 1, 1980Paper

Prenatal diagnosis of genetic defects to reduce infant mortality (author's transl)

Zentralblatt für Gynäkologie
W WeiseP Quent

Abstract

A total of 568 perinatal deaths occurred along with 25,111 childbirths, with 92 infants exhibiting malformations detrimental to life. The latter figure accounted for 16.2 per cent of all perinatal deaths or for 0.37 per cent of all childbirths. --Sixty per cent of the above malformations would have been detectable, had prenatal diagnosis been undertaken for the discovery of genetic defects. Every third malformation occurred along with a neural tube defect of which 93 per cent would have been detectable. Hydramnion in the course of pregnancy has proved to be the most specific indicator to malformation, and in 26 per cent of all pregnancies examined it was found to be present in concomitance with prenatally detectable malformations. Other data recordable in the context of pregnancy, including case history, hyperemesis, imminent abortion, gestosis, maternal infections, and exogenous noxae, were found to be unspecific and, consequently, not reliable for prenatal diagnosis. General ultrasonographic B-scan examination of all pregnant women would most probably help to detect 30 per cent of all malformations observed in this study, while prenatal detection of another eleven per cent seemed to be possible with less certainty. Such high ...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Birth Defects

Birth defects encompass structural and functional alterations that occur during embryonic or fetal development and are present since birth. The cause may be genetic, environmental or unknown and can result in physical and/or mental impairment. Here is the latest research on birth defects.