Validation study of the Victorian Birth Defects Register
Abstract
To determine whether there has been an improvement in ascertainment of birth defects cases ('case validity') by the Victorian Birth Defects Register (BDR) since an earlier study (conducted in 1993), to ascertain the accuracy of registered data ('item validity') and to investigate another possible source of notification. The medical records were reviewed of 500 children born after 1 January 1993 who were consecutively admitted after 1 January 1999 to two paediatric teaching hospitals in Victoria. In addition, records of 200 children referred to a clinical genetics service were reviewed for children born after 1 January 1993 and who were seen in two periods: 2 months after 1 January 2001 and 2 months after 1 January 2002. The records from the hospitals and clinical genetics service were reviewed separately to determine whether children recorded as having a birth defect had previously been notified to the BDR. Twenty percent of the hospital records related to a child with a birth defect, as did 70% of the clinical genetics service records. Overall case validity for birth defect cases from the hospitals was 88%. There was 100% ascertainment for three of five categories. Sixty per cent of birth defects cases from the clinical geneti...Continue Reading
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Perinatal outcome following suspected fetal abnormality when managed through a fetal management unit
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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.