BACKGROUND: Many studies have been conducted on the accuracy of prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of foetal CNS-malformations. These studies were mostly hospital-based or, sometimes, multicentre studies. We present here a population-based study of the prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida in Sweden over a period of 31 years. METHODS: We compared the number of newborns with spina bifida and the elective terminations because of the prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida for different periods. RESULTS: The rate of spina bifida among newborns diminished gradually from 0.55 per 1000 to 0.29 per 1000 during the study period. In M county the rate of spina bifida at birth decreased very rapidly and from 1993 onwards was about half of that in the rest of the country. CONCLUSION: There has been a decline in the rate of spina bifida at birth. This decline can be seen earlier in the southern part of the country, M county. The decline is probably, to a great extent, a consequence of prenatal ultrasound screening.
BACKGROUND: Many studies have been conducted on the accuracy of prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of foetal CNS-malformations. These studies were mostly hospital-based or, sometimes, multicentre studies. We present here a population-based study of the prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida in Sweden over a period of 31 years. METHODS: We compared the number of newborns with spina bifida and the elective terminations because of the prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida for different periods. RESULTS: The rate of spina bifida among newborns diminished gradually from 0.55 per 1000 to 0.29 per 1000 during the study period. In M county the rate of spina bifida at birth decreased very rapidly and from 1993 onwards was about half of that in the rest of the country. CONCLUSION: There has been a decline in the rate of spina bifida at birth. This decline can be seen earlier in the southern part of the country, M county. The decline is probably, to a great extent, a consequence of prenatal ultrasound screening.
Authors: Candice Y Johnson; Margaret A Honein; W Dana Flanders; Penelope P Howards; Godfrey P Oakley; Sonja A Rasmussen Journal: Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol Date: 2012-10-25
Authors: Callie A M Atta; Kirsten M Fiest; Alexandra D Frolkis; Nathalie Jette; Tamara Pringsheim; Christine St Germaine-Smith; Thilinie Rajapakse; Gilaad G Kaplan; Amy Metcalfe Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2015-11-12 Impact factor: 9.308