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Comparative Study
. 2018 Feb 1:2018:9203985.
doi: 10.1155/2018/9203985. eCollection 2018.

Ultrasound in Prenatal Diagnostics and Its Impact on the Epidemiology of Spina Bifida in a National Cohort from Denmark with a Comparison to Sweden

Affiliations
Comparative Study

Ultrasound in Prenatal Diagnostics and Its Impact on the Epidemiology of Spina Bifida in a National Cohort from Denmark with a Comparison to Sweden

Charlotte Rosenkrantz Bodin et al. Biomed Res Int. .

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, the prenatal detection rate by ultrasound, and the pregnancy outcome of spina bifida (SB) in Denmark (DK) in 2008-2015 and to compare results to national data from Sweden.

Methods: Data were retrieved from the Danish Fetal Medicine Database, which includes International Classification of Diseases- (ICD-) 10 codes for pre- or postnatally diagnoses and pregnancy outcome. Missing data were obtained from the National Patient Register. Livebirth data with myelomeningocele (MMC) in Sweden were obtained from different databases.

Results: There were 234 cases with SB in DK in 2008-2015. The incidence of SB was 4.9 : 10,000; 89% were detected with ultrasound prior to week 22; 90% of these pregnancies were terminated (ToP); 91% were isolated malformations of which 11% showed abnormal karyotype. The incidence of newborns with MMC was 1.3 : 10,000 in Sweden.

Conclusions: Ultrasound screening has a major impact on the epidemiology of SB. The prenatal detection rate of SB was high, and most SB cases were isolated and had a normal karyotype. Among women with a prenatal fetal diagnosis of SB, 90% chose to have ToP. The incidence of newborns with SB was higher in Sweden than in DK.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of inclusion from the Danish Fetal Medicine Database (DFMD).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flowchart of inclusion from the National Patient Register (NPR), DFMD: Danish Fetal Medicine Database.

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