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. 1993 Feb 20;306(6876):499-503.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.306.6876.499.

What proportion of congenital abnormalities can be prevented?

A E Czeizel  1 , Z Intôdy, B Modell
Affiliations

What proportion of congenital abnormalities can be prevented?

A E Czeizel et al. BMJ. .

Erratum in

  • BMJ 1993 Mar 20;306(6880):771

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the proportion of preventable congenital abnormalities in Hungary.

Design: Analysis of available Hungarian data-bases and of the effectiveness of primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive methods.

Setting: Databases of ad hoc epidemiological studies and of the Hungarian congenital abnormality registry.

Main outcome measures: Prevalence at birth and prevalence after prevention in 73 congenital abnormality types or groups.

Results: Preventive methods are available for 51 (70%) of the 73 congenital abnormality types or groups evaluated. The birth prevalence of all congenital abnormalities could be reduced from 65 to 26 per 1000; thus 39 per 1000 (60%) are preventable. Without congenital dislocation of the hip, which is unusually common in Hungary, the preventable proportion of congenital abnormalities is 52%.

Conclusion: Many congenital abnormalities can be prevented, but as they do not represent a single pathological category there is no single strategy for their prevention.

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Comment in

  • Preventing congenital abnormalities.
    Saunders P. Saunders P. BMJ. 1993 Mar 27;306(6881):857; author reply 857-8. doi: 10.1136/bmj.306.6881.857-b. BMJ. 1993. PMID: 8338559 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
  • Preventing congenital abnormalities.
    Huddart SN, Bianchi A, Doig CM, Dickson AP. Huddart SN, et al. BMJ. 1993 Mar 27;306(6881):857; author reply 857-8. doi: 10.1136/bmj.306.6881.857-a. BMJ. 1993. PMID: 8490393 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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