OBJECTIVE: to conduct an epidemiological descriptive study on malformed newborns residing in the Municipality of Gela during 1991-2002 to compare theprevalences observed with those reported by the registries operating in Sicily, in Italy and in the scientific literature. DESIGN AND SETTING: epidemiological descriptive study in the area of the Municipality of Gela, (Sicily, Italy). MATERIALS: information on congenital anomalies occurred in livebirths and stillbirths residing in the Municipality of Gela were obtained from different sources: local hospital statistics, general paediatricians list of patients, the Sicilian Registry of Congenital Malformations (ISMAC), hospital discharge records of Catania University Hospital, previous investigation data, the Gela Hospital Obstetrics Department archive. RESULTS: 520 malformed cases out of 13060 newborns were ascertained, accounting for a prevalence rate of 398/10000 total births, approximately 2 times significantly higher than those reported by the Sicilian Registry ISMAC (182/10000) and the Italian registries (205/10000). The annual distribution resulted significantly heterogeneous for all malformed cases and for cardiovascular, limb and external genitalia malformations. Significant excesses for anomalies of central nervous system, cardiovascular system, urinary tract, digestive, teguments and total malformations were found, with observed/expected ratios ranging from 1.5 to 6.0 or from 1.3 to 3.4 when compared with ISMAC or Italian registries respectively. When specific malformations where analysed, significant excesses for male hypospadias and diaphragmatic hernia were found. The occurrence of hypospadias, 56.7/10000 births, was 2.5 times significantly higher than the reference rates. CONCLUSION: the observed hypospadias birth rate is amongst the most elevated ever reported in literature. A low diagnostic specificity (many false positives) may explain the relevant increase of newborns diagnosed with microcephaly. Results reinforce the hypothesis ofa causal role of risk factors present in the Gela area on the etiology of malformations and address the need for further insights into the excesses found, for consolidation of the registration action andfor implementation of a health and environment local surveillance system able to monitor sensitive diseases in areas considered at environmental risk. A retrospective case-control study on disease excesses is being completed.
OBJECTIVE: to conduct an epidemiological descriptive study on malformed newborns residing in the Municipality of Gela during 1991-2002 to compare theprevalences observed with those reported by the registries operating in Sicily, in Italy and in the scientific literature. DESIGN AND SETTING: epidemiological descriptive study in the area of the Municipality of Gela, (Sicily, Italy). MATERIALS: information on congenital anomalies occurred in livebirths and stillbirths residing in the Municipality of Gela were obtained from different sources: local hospital statistics, general paediatricians list of patients, the Sicilian Registry of Congenital Malformations (ISMAC), hospital discharge records of Catania University Hospital, previous investigation data, the Gela Hospital Obstetrics Department archive. RESULTS: 520 malformed cases out of 13060 newborns were ascertained, accounting for a prevalence rate of 398/10000 total births, approximately 2 times significantly higher than those reported by the Sicilian Registry ISMAC (182/10000) and the Italian registries (205/10000). The annual distribution resulted significantly heterogeneous for all malformed cases and for cardiovascular, limb and external genitalia malformations. Significant excesses for anomalies of central nervous system, cardiovascular system, urinary tract, digestive, teguments and total malformations were found, with observed/expected ratios ranging from 1.5 to 6.0 or from 1.3 to 3.4 when compared with ISMAC or Italian registries respectively. When specific malformations where analysed, significant excesses for male hypospadias and diaphragmatic hernia were found. The occurrence of hypospadias, 56.7/10000 births, was 2.5 times significantly higher than the reference rates. CONCLUSION: the observed hypospadias birth rate is amongst the most elevated ever reported in literature. A low diagnostic specificity (many false positives) may explain the relevant increase of newborns diagnosed with microcephaly. Results reinforce the hypothesis ofa causal role of risk factors present in the Gela area on the etiology of malformations and address the need for further insights into the excesses found, for consolidation of the registration action andfor implementation of a health and environment local surveillance system able to monitor sensitive diseases in areas considered at environmental risk. A retrospective case-control study on disease excesses is being completed.
Authors: Roberta Pirastu; Roberto Pasetto; Amerigo Zona; Carla Ancona; Ivano Iavarone; Marco Martuzzi; Pietro Comba Journal: J Environ Public Health Date: 2013-06-18
Authors: Michele Santoro; Fabrizio Minichilli; Anna Pierini; Gianni Astolfi; Lucia Bisceglia; Pietro Carbone; Susanna Conti; Gabriella Dardanoni; Ivano Iavarone; Paolo Ricci; Gioacchino Scarano; Fabrizio Bianchi Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2017-03-10 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Paolo Ghirri; Rosa T Scaramuzzo; Silvano Bertelloni; Daniela Pardi; Amerigo Celandroni; Guido Cocchi; Roberto Danieli; Luisa De Santis; Maria C Di Stefano; Orietta Gerola; Mario Giuffrè; Giuseppe S Gragnani; Cinzia Magnani; Cristiano Meossi; Ilaria Merusi; Giuseppe Sabatino; Stefano Tumini; Giovanni Corsello; Antonio Boldrini Journal: Ital J Pediatr Date: 2009-06-27 Impact factor: 2.638
Authors: Calogero Di Bella; Anna Traina; Cristina Giosuè; Davide Carpintieri; Gianluigi Maria Lo Dico; Antonio Bellante; Marianna Del Core; Francesca Falco; Serena Gherardi; Maria Michela Uccello; Vincenzo Ferrantelli Journal: Front Public Health Date: 2020-07-07