statistical data from 1966 till 1995 showed that neural tube defects, in the american continent, venezuela had the highest prevalence of 38.9 and some latin american countries showed the low of 7.7. in europe, norway had the highest prevalence of 68, and denmark the lowest, 5.8. in asia, india had the highest of 181.8 and japan the lowest of 10. in africa, nigeria had the highest of 70 and negr...

BACKGROUND The Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC) is an epidemiological surveillance system operating in 11 South American countries since 1969. AIM To analyze the Congenital Malformation prevalence rate at birth from 2001 to 2010 in Chilean Hospitals participating in ECLAMC. To compare these rates with those of the period 1982-1994. MATERIAL AND METHODS...

Parents are usually told that many anencephalic offspring die in utero or soon after delivery, and many obstetricians offer elective termination of the pregnancy. Following the personal experience of the first author, a personal website was created with the intention of providing information and exchanging views with other parents confronted with a prenatal diagnosis of anencephaly. Data were c...

Neural tube closure defects (NTDs), in particular anencephaly and spina bifida, are common human birth defects (1 in 1000), their genetics is complex and their risk is reduced by periconceptional maternal folic acid supplementation. There are > 60 mouse mutants and strains with NTDs, many reported within the past 2 years. Not only are NTD mutations at loci widely heterogeneous in function, but ...

Several investigators have stressed the importance of genetic factors in the aetiology of malformations of the central nervous system, and some have even advanced hypotheses describing the genetic mechanisms involved. Such hypotheses are speculative, and the role of environmental events should continue to receive evaluation. Association of characteristics of the offspring with birth order or wi...