The epidemiology of congenital defects in central nervous system development in children
Reznik, B.I.; Minkov, I.P.
Zhurnal Nevropatologii i Psikhiatrii Imeni S.S. Korsakova 91(11): 15-17
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-4588 PMID: 1666214 Document Number: 370433
The prevalence and structure as well as risk factors for congenital developmental abnormalities (CDA) of the central nervous system (CNS) have been studied over recent 17 years among the newborn's population (217,000 births) and 7,845 dead children of varying age. The stage I work involved a retrospective analysis of the medical documentation up to broad-scale introduction of ultrasonography (US) of fetal abnormalities during pregnancy, the stage II work consisted in an analysis of the genetic monitoring after the introduction of US of the fetal states, comprising the pregnant, which approximated 98%. The significant risk factors for CDA of the CNS were the pregnancy rate (the IV and consequent ones), some types of pregnancy pathology (toxemia of the first half of pregnancy, infectious diseases) as well as prematurity, intrauterine hypotrophy, previous exposures of the mother and father of the future child to ionizing radiation. Over the recent years a stable tendency has been noted toward decrease of both the prevalence of CDA of the CNS among the newborn and dead children and of anencephalies and hydrocephalus, the developmental abnormalities most clearly diagnosed on US.