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Review
. 2016 Oct 25:8:479-483.
doi: 10.2147/CLEP.S99477. eCollection 2016.

The Danish Fetal Medicine database

Charlotte Kvist Ekelund  1 , Tine Iskov Kopp  2 , Ann Tabor  1 , Olav Bjørn Petersen  3
Affiliations
Review

The Danish Fetal Medicine database

Charlotte Kvist Ekelund et al. Clin Epidemiol. .

Abstract

Aim: 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.

Study population: Pregnant women with a first or second trimester ultrasound scan performed at all public hospitals in Denmark are registered in the database.

Main variables/descriptive data: 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.

Conclusion: 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.

Keywords: chromosomal abnormalities; fetal malformations; nuchal translucency; prenatal screening.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Data sources of the Danish Fetal Medicine Database. Abbreviation: CPR, unique personal identification number.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sundhedsstyrelsens [webpage on the Internet] Sundhedsstyrelsens Retningslinjer for Prænatal Diagnostik, 2004 (National Board of Health’s Guideline for Prenatal Diagnostics) [Accessed April 1, 2014]. Available from: http://www.sst.dk/~/media/413C46E891DC4F3AA94D65FE7C53B70B.ashx.
    1. Ekelund CK, Jørgensen FS, Petersen OB, Sundberg K, Tabor A, Danish Fetal Medicine Research Group Impact of a new national screening policy for Down’s syndrome in Denmark: population based cohort study. BMJ. 2008;337:a2547. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dansk Føtalmedicinsk Selskab [webpage on the Internet] National Fetal Medicine Guidelines. [Accessed January 14, 2016]. Available from: http://www.dfms.dk/cms/index.php/2012-06-30-01-20-53/guidelines.
    1. Ekelund CK, Petersen OB, Jørgensen FS, et al. Danish Fetal Medicine Research Group The Danish fetal medicine database: establishment, organization and quality assessment of the first trimester screening program for trisomy 21 in Denmark 2008–2012. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2015;94(6):577–583. - PubMed
    1. Mathiesen JM, Aksglaede L, Skibsted L, Petersen OB, Tabor A, Danish Fetal Medicine Study Group Outcome of fetuses with short femur length detected at second-trimester anomaly scan: a national survey. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2014;44(2):160–165. - PubMed

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