Search

Objective This study aimed to describe lethality of birth defects (BDs) in newborns categorized by gestational age and birth weight and to identify BDs associated with prematurity. Study Design Live born infants (n = 16,452) with isolated BDs classified by severity, and 42,511 healthy controls were assigned to categories: adequate growth, preterm, or small for gestational age (SGA). Proportion of cases and BDs' lethality rates were obtained by category and compared with controls. Results Overall fewer malformed than nonmalformed infants were of adequate growth, while the opposite occurred in the preterm and SGA categories where gastroschisis and esophageal atresia were among the most outstanding defects. For most severe BDs, the early neonatal death rate was higher than control values in all categories; for mild defects, except cleft lip in the preterm category, they did not differ. Diaphragmatic hernia showed the highest lethality values, while those of spina bifida were among the lowest. Talipes, hypospadias, and septal heart defects were mild defects significantly associated with prematurity. Conclusion Although reasons, such as induced preterm delivery of fetuses with certain anomalies, could partially account for their high prematurity rates, susceptibility to preterm birth might exist through underlying mechanisms related with the defects. The identification of BDs associated with prematurity should serve to improve measures that prevent preterm birth especially of fetuses at risk. Key Points Some BDs predispose to prematurity. Prematurity is an additional risk factor for mortality in infants with mild defects. Lethality values should be adjusted by gestational age and birth weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Argentina de Antropología Biológica is the property of Revista Argentina de Antropologia Biologica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We compared Brazilian oral cleft (OC) frequencies between the population‐based Brazilian System of Live Birth (SINASC) and the hospital‐based Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC), trying to understand the paucity of cleft of lip and palate (CLP) in the first system. SINASC uses the International Classification of Disease version 10 (ICD‐10) for congenital defects coding, ECLAMC uses ICD‐8 with modifications. In SINASC, the CLP frequency was 1.7 per 10,000 (95% confidence limits 1.7–1.8), cleft lip (CL) 1.6 (1.5–1.7), and cleft palate (CP) 2.0 (1.9–2.1). In ECLAMC, the CLP frequency was 10.4 per 10,000 (9.0–12.1), CL 5.5 (4.5–6.7), and CP 4.4. (4.5–6.7). In SINASC, only 33% of the oral clefts were CLP, versus 51% in ECLAMC. Part of this discrepancy may have been due to the relative excess of CP and CL cases. Although congenital defect frequencies are usually lower in population than in hospital‐based registries, differences in the proportion of the main OC categories are not expected and are probably due to ICD‐10 coding issues, such as lumping of unilateral CL and CL without other specifications. ICD‐10 codes, whose deficiency for oral clefts is fully explained in the literature, lack modifiers for severity, or clinical subtypes. This paper shows the practical aspect of the ICD‐10 system deficiency in capturing cleft lip and palate (CLP) subtypes, as demonstrated in SINASC covering three million births per year. Such errors are expected to occur in any registry that uses the ICD‐10 coding system, and must be adjusted, given its relevance worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Among congenital craniofacial anomalies, orofacial clefts (OFCs) are the most common. Global prevalence is 2 in 1000 and in Colombia, 1 in 700. Our goal was to describe cleft palate (CP) prevalence and cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL±P) from 2001 to 2015 in Bogota and Cali, Colombia. Method: Using the ECLAMC case-control design method, information was obtained from the Congenital Anomalies Monitoring and Surveillance Programs in Bogota and Cali. We describe the prevalence of cases classified into the following groups: isolated, polymalformed, and syndromic. The proportion of cases and controls was 1:4. Data were analyzed using frequency distribution and Student t test to compare means and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: We identified 529 OFC cases and 2116 controls from 448,930 births: a rate of 11.8 per 10,000 (CI = 10.80-12.83). From the total cases, 73% were identified with CL/CP compared to 27% with CP. Males had higher CL±P (59%) prevalence, whereas the highest neonatal mortality was observed among polymalformed cases (7%). The most common anomaly identified among our cases was cleft lip without isolated cleft palate (58%). We found that OFCs are linked to birthweight, size, and gestational age and higher parity with statistically significant differences in all variables compared to controls. Conclusions: OFC is a highly prevalent anomaly in Colombia, with a range of maternal and infant differences across case subgroups. The identification of important OFC subgroups that follow certain patterns of prevalence may prove useful to primary and tertiary care facilities with the goal of reducing further disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is a spectrum of brain and facial malformations primarily reflecting genetic factors, such as chromosomal abnormalities and gene mutations. Here, we present a clinical and molecular analysis of 195 probands with HPE or microforms; approximately 72% of the patients were derived from the Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC), and 82% of the patients were newborns. Alobar HPE was the predominant brain defect in almost all facial defect categories, except for patients without oral cleft and median or lateral oral clefts. Ethmocephaly, cebocephaly, and premaxillary agenesis were primarily observed among female patients. Premaxillary agenesis occurred in six of the nine diabetic mothers. Recurrence of HPE or microform was approximately 19%. The frequency of microdeletions, detected using Multiplex Ligation-dependant Probe Amplification (MLPA) was 17% in patients with a normal karyotype. Cytogenetics or QF-PCR analyses revealed chromosomal anomalies in 27% of the probands. Mutational analyses in genes SHH, ZIC2, SIX3 and TGIF were performed in 119 patients, revealing eight mutations in SHH, two mutations in SIX3 and two mutations in ZIC2. Thus, a detailed clinical description of new HPE cases with identified genetic anomalies might establish genotypic and phenotypic correlations and contribute to the development of additional strategies for the analysis of new cases.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Some studies, mainly in the older literature, observed a significant association between miscarriages and birth defects (BDs) occurring in the same sibship. However, few studies examined the BD/miscarriage relationship in depth. In addition nothing has been added to the underlying mechanisms possibly linking both events. The purpose of this work was to identify specific BDs associated with maternal miscarriages. In particular, it examined whether the risk depended on the number of losses, and to suggest the existence of specific factors for each BD/miscarriage association observed. METHODS The study relied on the Latin American Collaborative Study on Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC) database registries including 26,906 live and stillborn infants with one of 19 selected isolated BDs and 93,853 normal controls. Infants born to primigravid mothers were excluded from the present study. Demographic and reproductive variables were compared between control mothers With and Without previous miscarriages. The number, frequency, and distribution of miscarriages were observed for each BD and controls. A conditional logistic regression was applied to evaluate the miscarriage risk for each BD. RESULTS Control mothers with previous miscarriages were older, had had more pregnancies, and were less educated. Three risk patterns of miscarriages were observed: a very high risk of miscarriages associated with gastroschisis, omphalocele, and talipes; only one miscarriage associated with spina bifida, and two or more miscarriages associated with hypospadias. CONCLUSION These three patterns suggest that different factors underly each BD/miscarriage association: infertility for hypospadias, vascular disruption for gastroschisis and talipes, while for spina bifida, the much debated trophoblastic cell residue theory could not be discarded. Birth Defects Research 109:254-261, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducción: la iniencefalia es un defecto del tubo neural, de baja frecuencia, del cual no hay valores de prevalencia establecidos. Esta patología se caracteriza por un ensanchamiento del foramen magno, raquisquisis y retroflexión marcada de la cabeza. El objetivo de este artículo es reportar un caso con los hallazgos clásicos de iniencefalia, y revisar la literatura. Materiales y métodos: se presenta el caso de un recién nacido de sexo femenino, producto de madre primigestante de 14 años, que consultó a institución de tercer nivel de complejidad, que atiende pacientes en su mayoría de la red pública del suroccidente colombiano, con ecografía prenatal que mostró feto con defecto a nivel de vértebras cervicales y torácicas. Al recién nacido se le realizó autopsia y radiografías, en los que se evidenciaron anomalías clásicas de iniencefalia. Se realiza búsqueda en las base de datos Medline vía PubMed por medio de la palabra clave iniencephaly. Conclusión: la importancia de este reporte radica en sumar a la literatura un nuevo caso de iniencefalia asociado con meningocele e hipoplasia de radio y ulna, adicionalmente es el primero reportado en Colombia.

Introducción: el gemelo acárdico es una malformación congénita de muy baja prevalencia, 1 en 35.000 nacimientos, y se encuentra aproximadamente en 1 de cada 100 gemelos monocigóticos. La asociación de un gemelo acárdico con un segundo gemelo con malformaciones mayores ocurre aproximadamente en el 10% de los casos. El objetivo de este artículo es el reporte de un caso de muy baja prevalencia y la revisión de la literatura publicada sobre la etiología y fisiopatología asociada a la acardia, así como de las anomalías congénitas asociadas a esta y a la infección por virus de la varicela. Materiales y métodos: se presenta el caso de un embarazo gemelar monocoriónico biamniótico con un gemelo acardius mylacephalus y un segundo gemelo anencefálico, con exposición de la madre a varicela en el primer trimestre del embarazo. Se realizó cariotipo con bandas G, 46 XY sin anormalidades estructurales. Se hace una revisión de la literatura publicada en los últimos 10 años en las bases de datos PubMed, Ovid e HINARI. Conclusión: la importancia de este trabajo radica en que en la literatura revisada sólo se encontró un único reporte de la asociación de gemelo arcádico, coexistente con gemelo anencefálico. Además, sería el primer reporte de la relación entre esta combinación de malformaciones mayores en el embarazo gemelar y la exposición a varicela en el primer trimestre del embarazo.Introduction: an acardiac twin is a congenital malformation having low prevalence (1 in 35,000) births and is found in about 1 in every 100 monozygotic twins. The association of an acardiac twin with a second twin having greater malformations occurs in around 10% of cases. This article was aimed at reporting a case having very low prevalence and a review of the literature published about the etiology and physiopathology associated with acardiac anomaly, as well as the congenital anomalies associated with it and infection by the chicken pox virus. Materials and methods: the case of monochorionicdiamniotic twin pregnancy involving an acardius mylacephalus twin and a second anencephalic twin is presented, the mother having been exposed to chicken pox during the first trimester of pregnancy. G-band kariotyping showed 46 XY having no structural abnormalities. A search was made of the literature published during the last 10 years in the PubMed, Ovid and HINARI databases. Conclusion: the importance of this report lies in the fact that only one report of the association of acardiac twin coexisting with anencephalic twin was found in the pertinent literature. This is also the first report of the relationship between this combination of greater malformations in twin pregnancy and exposure to chicken pox during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Objetivos: determinar y analizar la prevalencia de ciclopía en el Hospital Universitario del Valle (HUV) y buscar en los casos los factores etiológicos descritos en la literatura. Metodología: el presente es un estudio de corte transversal analítico, ensamblado a partir del sistema de vigilancia epidemiológica de malformaciones congénitas en el HUV y bajo la metodología del Estudio Colaborativo Latinoamericano de Malformaciones Congénitas (ECLAMC), se detectaron los casos de ciclopía acontecidos entre diciembre de 2004 y abril de 2008, se obtuvo el número de nacimientos y se encontró la prevalencia de ciclopía en el HUV. Gracias a un formato de entrevista del ECLAMC, se buscaron en las pacientes los factores que según la literatura se asocian con la ocurrencia de ciclopía. Se tomó fotos de cada uno de los casos. Resultados: durante el período comprendido entre diciembre de 2004 y abril de 2008 se presentaron 18.224 nacimientos en el HUV. De éstos, 8 presentaron ciclopía con una prevalencia de 1 en 2.278 nacimientos (43,8 por 100.000). Todos los casos se clasificaron según Meyer como tipo I y 3 casos presentaron etmocefalea. Se encontró exposición a misoprostol, alcohol y marihuana en un caso; diabetes en otro, marihuana en otro; un caso presentó trisomia 13 y otro en que no se obtuvo cariotipo los hallazgos sugirieron trisomía 13. Conclusiones: La ciclopía en Cali y el Valle del Cauca es considerada un evento endémico. Por lo cual, se necesita un sistema de vigilancia epidemiológico de malformaciones congénitas, holoprosencefalia y ciclopía para Cali y el Valle del Cauca. Además, se necesitan estudios controlados sobre factores de riesgo individuales y colectivos.Objectives: identifying and analysing cyclopia prevalence in the Hospital Universitario del Valle and searching for the aetiological factors described in the literature in the cases so found. Methodology: this was a prospective study of cases and controls regarding cases of cyclopia occurring between December 2004 and April 2008 which were detected via HUV's congenital malformation epidemiological surveillance system, using Latin-American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations of births and cyclopy prevalence in the HUV were obtained. ECLAMC's interview form was used for searching for factors associated by the literature with cyclopy occurring. Photos were obtained in all cases. Results: there were 18,224 births in the HUV from between December 2004 and April 2008; 8 of these presented cyclopy, giving a 1 in 2,278 births prevalence (43.8 per 100,000). All cases were classified as being Meyer type I. Three cases suffered from etmocephaly. Exposure to misoprostol, alcohol and marijuana was found in one case; diabetes in another; and marijuana in a third one. A case of trisomy 13 was presented and another case in which findings suggested trisomy 13, the karyotype was not obtained. Conclusions: cyclopy in Cali and Valle del Cauca are endemic events. A congenital malformation, holoprosencephaly and cyclopy epidemiological surveillance system is needed for Cali and Valle del Cauca area.

Background The birth prevalence rate (BPR) of congenital anomalies (CAs) is heterogeneous and exhibits geographical and sociocultural variations throughout the world. In South America (SA), high birth prevalence regions of congenital anomalies have been observed. The aim of this study was to identify, describe, and characterize geographical clusters of congenital anomalies in SA. Methods This observational descriptive study is based on clinical epidemiological data registered by the Latin-American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations network. Between 1995 and 2012, a total of 25,082 malformed newborns were ascertained from 2,557,424 births at 129 hospitals in SA. The spatial scan statistic was used to determine geographical regions with high BPR of CAs. The BPR was obtained with a Poisson regression model. Odds ratios were estimated for several risk factors inside the geographical clusters. Results We confirmed the existence of high BPR regions of CAs in SA. Indicators of low socioeconomic conditions, such as a low maternal education, extreme age childbearing, infectious diseases, and medicine use during pregnancy were detected as risk factors inside these regions. Native and African ancestries with high frequency of consanguineous marriages could explain partially these high BPR clusters. Conclusion The recognition of clusters could be a starting point in the identification of susceptibility genes associated with the occurrence of CA in high BPR regions. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 106:257-266, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Although young maternal age has been identified as a risk factor for gastroschisis, its role remains undisclosed. To our knowledge, the differences between young mothers of infants with gastroschisis and young mothers of infants with other pregnancy outcomes have not been established. The aim of this work was to compare characteristics of young mothers whose newborn had gastroschisis with same aged mothers of malformed and nonmalformed control infants, diagnosed within the ECLAMC maternity hospital network. Methods Data base records of live and stillborn infants of one of three groups (with isolated gastroschisis, with 1 of 5 other isolated birth defects, and nonmalformed), and whose mothers were younger than 20 years, were selected. Secular trends were obtained for all birth defects; frequencies and odds ratios (OR) of demographic and reproductive variables were compared among the 3 groups. Significantly associated variables were adjusted with a multivariate regression. Results The association was higher with gastroschisis 1) than with other birth defects for African ancestry, smoking, adequate prenatal control and diagnosis 2) than with nonmalformed controls for maternal illnesses and alcohol 3) and than both for previous pregnancy loss and medication, mainly sex hormones. After adjustment, only previous pregnancy loss maintained its significance when compared with malformed (OR = 2.34; 1.37-3.97; P = 0.002), as well as with nonmalformed (OR = 3.43; 2.07-5.66; P < 0.001) controls. Conclusion A previous pregnancy loss was identified as the main risk factor for gastroschisis, while an increased use of sex hormones, perhaps related to the previous loss, could trigger a disruptive mechanism, due to their thrombophilic effect. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 103:536-543, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Congenital anomalies (CAs) cause nearly one third of infant deaths worldwide. Various surveillance systems have been established, such as the Bogota Congenital Malformations Surveillance Program (BCMSP). Some CAs are of special interest to pediatric surgeons: omphalocele, gastroschisis, intestinal and esophageal atresia, anorectal malformations, vascular anomalies, diaphragmatic hernias, hypospadias and cryptorchidism. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of such CAs, and identify possible risk factors. Methods: Data from the BCMSP were collected between January 2005 and April 2012. CAs were classified in accordance with the ICD-10 and grouped for analysis purposes. Data on CA frequencies were obtained from the BCMSP. Association analyses were performed using the case–control methodology. Results: 282,523 births were registered. 4682 (1.66%) had one or more CAs at birth. The prevalence of CAs requiring pediatric surgery was 1 in 1000. The most frequent CAs were vascular anomalies, hypospadias, and anorectal malformations. Exposure to external factors was significantly associated with selected CAs. 51% of selected birth defects were not diagnosed in prenatal ultrasound. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of evaluating the local prevalence of congenital malformations. We propose the creation of specialized centers in Bogota to manage patients with CAs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: There is disagreement about the association between cleft lip with or without cleft palate and multigravidity, which could be explained by differences of adjusting for maternal age, Amerindian ancestry, and socioeconomic status. Objective: The aim was to evaluate gravidity 4-1- (four or more gestations) as a risk factor for cleft lip with or without cleft palate in South America. Design: We used a matched (1:1) case-control study with structural equation modeling for related causes. Data were obtained from 1,371,575 consecutive newborn infants weighing ≥ 500 g who were born in the hospitals of the Estudio Colaborativo Latinoamericano de Malformaciones Congénitas (ECLAMC) network between 1982 and 1999. There were a total of 1,271 cases with cleft lip with or without cleft palate (excluding midline and atypical cleft lip with or without cleft palate). A total of 1,227 case-control pairs were obtained, matched by maternal age, newborn gender, and year and place of birth. Potential confounders and intermediary variables were analyzed with structural equation modeling. Results: The crude risk of gravidity 4+ was 1.41 and the 95% confidence interval was 1.14 to 1.61. When applying structural equation modeling, the effect of multigravidity on the risk of cleft lip with or without cleft palate was 1.22 and the 95% confidence interval was 0.91 to 1.39. Conclusions: Multigravid mothers (more than four gestations) showed no greater risk of bearing children who had cleft lip with or without cleft palate than mothers with two or three births. Therefore, the often observed and reported association between multigravidity and oral clefts likely reflects the effect of other risk factors related to low socioeconomic status in South American populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To determine the association between prenatal multivitamin supplementation and congenital genitourinary tract anomalies in a group of Colombian newborn babies included in the Latin-American surveillance program (ECLAMC). Study design: We included all neonates born between January 2004 and August 2007 registered in the ECLAMC database. Maternal prenatal multivitamin use was assessed for 122 newborns with congenital genitourinary tract anomalies and then compared to 271 non-malformed controls. Results: 46,850 births were registered and 122 (26/10,000) of them were identified to have a genitourinary tract anomaly. Prenatal multivitamin supplementation during the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy was associated with a reduction in the risk of these anomalies: OR 0.16 (0.08–0.31), OR 0.31 (0.19–0.52), and OR 0.38 (0.23–0.63) respectively. Conclusions: Maternal prenatal multivitamins may reduce the risk of congenital genitourinary tract anomalies, not only during the first 8 weeks of gestation but also later in pregnancy, in developing countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Revista Chilena de Pediatría is the property of Revista Chilena de Pediatria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: iniencephaly is a rarely occurring defect of the neural tube, lacking established prevalence values to date. It is characterized by widening of the foramen magnum, rachischisis and marked retroflexion of the head. This article was aimed at reporting a case having classical findings of iniencephaly and providing a literature review. Materials and methods: the case of a newly born female is presented; her first-time mother was aged 14 and consulted a third level hospital mainly attending patients from the southwestern Colombian public healthcare network. The prenatal echography showed a fetus having a cervical/ thoracic vertebrae defect. The newborn was subjected to autopsy and radiographies, revealing classical anomalies regarding iniencephaly. A search was made of Medline databases via PubMed using the key word "iniencephaly". Conclusion: this report's importance lies in adding a new case of iniencephaly associated with meningocele and hypoplasia of the radius and ulna to the pertinent literature. It is the first case reported in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: an acardiac twin is a congenital malformation having low prevalence (1 in 35,000) births and is found in about 1 in every 100 monozygotic twins. The association of an acardiac twin with a second twin having greater malformations occurs in around 10% of cases. This article was aimed at reporting a case having very low prevalence and a review of the literature published about the etiology and physiopathology associated with acardiac anomaly, as well as the congenital anomalies associated with it and infection by the chicken pox virus. Materials and methods: the case of monochorionicdiamniotic twin pregnancy involving an acardius mylacephalus twin and a second anencephalic twin is presented, the mother having been exposed to chicken pox during the first trimester of pregnancy. G-band kariot yping showed 46 XY having no structural abnormalities. A search was made of the literature published during the last 10 years in the PubMed, Ovid and HINARI databases. Conclusion: the importance of this report lies in the fact that only one report of the association of acardiac twin coexisting with anencephalic twin was found in the pertinent literature. This is also the first report of the relationship between this combination of greater malformations in twin pregnancy and exposure to chicken pox during the first trimester of pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: identifying and analysing cyclopia prevalence in the Hospital Universitario del Valle and searching for the aetiological factors described in the literature in the cases so found. Methodology: this was a prospective study of cases and controls regarding cases of cyclopia occurring between December 2004 and April 2008 which were detected via HUV's congenital malformation epidemiological surveillance system, using Latin-American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC) methodology. The number of births and cyclopy prevalence in the HUV were obtained. ECLAMC's interview form was used for searching for factors associated by the literature with cyclopy occurring. Photos were obtained in all cases. Results: there were 18,224 births in the HUV from between December 2004 and April 2008; 8 of these presented cyclopy, giving a 1 in 2,278 births prevalence (43.8 per 100,000). All cases were classified as being Meyer type I. Three cases suffered from etmocephaly. Exposure to misoprostol, alcohol and marijuana was found in one case; diabetes in another; and marijuana in a third one. A case of trisomy 13 was presented and another case in which findings suggested trisomy 13, the karyotype was not obtained. Conclusions: cyclopy in Cali and Valle del Cauca are endemic events. A congenital malformation, holoprosencephaly and cyclopy epidemiological surveillance system is needed for Cali and Valle del Cauca area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Craniofacial malformations comprise diverse diagnoses, implying a wide range of morbidity and disability among populations. Our aim was to study them as a group and describe their epidemiological factors inside a population as well as finding common risk factors for their presentation in Colombia. Methods: We conducted a case–control study in several Colombian hospitals participating in the ECLAMC (Spanish acronym for Latin-American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations) program. For the analysis we included 374 cases of isolated malformations and 728 controls, out of 44,701 births. Results: A rate of 83.67 cases per 10,000 births was found for craniofacial malformations as a group, with an overall sex ratio of 1. We found predominance for their presentation on the right side. As main associations we obtained a positive family history of another craniofacial malformation (OR: 3.10 CI 95% [2.24–4.30]), particularly preauricular tags (OR 52.36 CI 95% [12.62–217.16]), preauricular pits (OR: 36.35 CI 95% [4.82–274.27]) and cleft lip with or without palate (OR: 2.50 CI 95% [1.07–5.84]). Medication use during pregnancy was also linked to malformations (OR: 2.00 CI 95% [1.38–2.89]). Specific agents such as ferrous sulfate (OR: 1.46 CI 95% [1.13–1.89]), folic acid (OR: 1.35 CI 95% [1.02–1.79]) and nifedipine (OR: 2.88 CI 95% [1.22–6.79]) also showed a significant correlation. Maternal alcohol use was also identified as a possible risk factor (OR: 2.45 CI 95% [1.39–4.29]). Conclusions: Craniofacial malformations are frequently encountered among the group of congenital defects. When they present in an isolated fashion, familial history is an important risk factor, although some prenatal factors such as alcohol and some medications may have influence over their prevalence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: Determine the model of inheritance of non-syndromic cleft palate in humans.Design: Complex segregation analysis performed in families of consecutive newborns affected with non-syndromic cleft palate.Setting and Sample Population: The Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC). Four hundred and seven consecutive newborns affected with non-syndromic cleft palate registered during the period 1967-97.Outcome Measure: Likelihood ratio test and Akaike information criterion (AIC) values.Results: The single major locus recessive model provided a significantly better explanation of the data. It was the most parsimonious and had the smallest AIC value of the six models tested with approximately the same likelihood as the general model (chi2 = 2.44, p = 0.5).Conclusions: To have defined a genetic model for non-syndromic cleft palate and provided evidence for a single major locus inheritance suggests that genetic linkage studies could be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MSX1 and TGFB3 have been proposed as genes in which mutations may contribute to nonsyndromic forms of oral clefts; however, an interaction between these genes has not been described. The present study attempts to detect transmission distortion of MSX1 and TGFB3 in 217 South American children from their respective mothers. With transmission disequilibrium test analysis, cleft lip with/without cleft palate, cleft lip with palate plus cleft palate only, and all datasets combined showed evidence of association with MSX1 (p = 0.004, p = 0.037, and p = 0.001, respectively). With likelihood ratio test analysis, "cleft lip only" showed association with MSX1 (p = 0.04) and "cleft palate only" with TGFB3 (p = 0.02). A joint analysis of MSX1 and TGFB3 suggested that there may be an interaction between these two loci to increase cleft susceptibility. These results suggest that MSX1 and TGFB3 mutations make a contribution to clefts in South American populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vieira AR, Karras JC, Orioli IM, Castilla EE, Murray JC. Genetic origins in a South American clefting population. Clin Genet 2002: 62: 458–463. © Blackwell Munksgaard, 2002 It has been proposed that susceptibility to clefting in South America is related to Amerindian ancestry, where clefting is present at a higher frequency than in the other admixed populations (Caucasian and African) that make up the diverse racial mix of current South Americans. To clarify the genetic origins and establish a method for genetic mapping, mitochondrial DNA variation and Y-chromosome markers were studied in a South American population affected with clefting. Two-hundred and seventeen subjects and matched controls were selected through the Latin-American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC). The case group showed a higher frequency of Native American haplogroups and a lower frequency of African haplogroups (p < 0.00001). In addition, the case group showed a much higher frequency of the specific native American haplogroup D than the control group (p < 0.00001). For the Y-chromosome markers, the case group showed a lower frequency of the African-specific marker, YAP (p = 0.002), and a higher frequency of the Native American-specific marker, DYS199 (p < 0.00001). Even though differences were found in the frequencies of the markers studied, the contribution of each founder population was similar for both groups. Results suggest a strong Native American maternal contribution and a strong Caucasian (Spanish and Portuguese) paternal contribution to the population studied. The implications of this finding include the possibility of using admixture mapping approaches to this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparar las frecuencias de anomalías congénitas en el Instituto Materno Infantil de Bogotá con las reportadas en Latinoamérica por la ECLAMC.

Abstract The presence of Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans has led to the development of a multi-ethnic, admixed population in Chile. This study aimed to contribute to the characterization of the uniparental genetic structure of three Chilean regions. Newborns from seven hospitals in Independencia, Providencia, Santiago, Curicó, Cauquenes, Valdívia, and Puerto Montt communes, belonging to the Chilean regions of Santiago, Maule, and Los Lagos, were studied. The presence of Native American mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups and two markers present in the non-recombinant region of the Y chromosome, DYS199 and DYS287, indicative of Native American and African ancestry, respectively, was determined. A high Native American matrilineal contribution and a low Native American and African patrilineal contributions were found in all three studied regions. As previously found in Chilean admixed populations, the Native American matrilineal contribution was lower in Santiago than in the other studied regions. However, there was an unexpectedly higher contribution of Native American ancestry in one of the studied communes in Santiago, probably due to the high rate of immigration from other regions of the country. The population genetic sub-structure we detected in Santiago using few uniparental markers requires further confirmation, owing to possible stratification for autosomal and X-chromosome markers.

Copyright of Biomédica: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud of Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: Among congenital craniofacial anomalies, orofacial clefts (OFCs) are the most common. Global prevalence is 2 in 1000 and in Colombia, 1 in 700. Our goal was to describe cleft palate (CP) prevalence and cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL±P) from 2001 to 2015 in Bogota and Cali, Colombia., Method: Using the ECLAMC case-control design method, information was obtained from the Congenital Anomalies Monitoring and Surveillance Programs in Bogota and Cali. We describe the prevalence of cases classified into the following groups: isolated, polymalformed, and syndromic. The proportion of cases and controls was 1:4. Data were analyzed using frequency distribution and Student t test to compare means and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Results: We identified 529 OFC cases and 2116 controls from 448,930 births: a rate of 11.8 per 10,000 (CI = 10.80-12.83). From the total cases, 73% were identified with CL/CP compared to 27% with CP. Males had higher CL±P (59%) prevalence, whereas the highest neonatal mortality was observed among polymalformed cases (7%). The most common anomaly identified among our cases was cleft lip without isolated cleft palate (58%). We found that OFCs are linked to birthweight, size, and gestational age and higher parity with statistically significant differences in all variables compared to controls., Conclusions: OFC is a highly prevalent anomaly in Colombia, with a range of maternal and infant differences across case subgroups. The identification of important OFC subgroups that follow certain patterns of prevalence may prove useful to primary and tertiary care facilities with the goal of reducing further disability.

Summary Objective Hypospadias is the most common congenital anomaly affecting the genitals. It has been established as a multifactorial disease with increasing prevalence. Many risk factors have been identified such as prematurity, birth weight, mother's age, and exposure to endocrine disruptors. In recent decades multiple authors using surveillance systems have described an increase in prevalence of hypospadias, but most of the published literature comes from developed countries in Europe and North America and few of the published studies have involved cluster analysis. Few large-scale studies have been performed addressing the effect of altitude and other geographical aspects on the development of hypospadias. Acknowledging this limitation, we present novel results of a multinational spatial scan statistical analysis over a 30-year period in South America and an altitude analysis of hypospadias distribution on a continent level. Method A retrospective review was performed of the Latin American collaborative study of congenital malformations (ECLAMC). A total of 4,020,384 newborns was surveyed between 1982 and December 2011 in all participating centers. We selected all patients with hypospadias. All degrees of clinical severity were included in the analysis. Each participating center was geographically identified with its coordinates and altitude above sea level. A spatial scan statistical analysis was performed using Kulldorf's methodology and a prevalence trend analysis over time in centers below and above 2000 m. Results During the study period we found 159 hospitals in six different countries (Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay) with 4,537 cases of hypospadias and a global prevalence rate of 11.3/10,000 newborns. Trend analysis showed that centers below 2000 m had an increasing trend with an average of 10/10,000 newborns as opposed to those centers above 2000 m that showed a reducing trend with an average prevalence of 7.8 ( p = 0.1246). We identified clusters with significant increases of prevalence in five centers along the coast at an average altitude of 219.8 m above sea level ( p > 0.0000). Reduction in prevalence was found in clusters located in two centers on the Andes mountains. Altitude of 2,000 m was associated with hypospadias (Figure), with an OR 0.59 (0.5–0.69). There are ethnic arguments to support our results supported by protective polymorphism distribution in high lands. Conclusion Altitude above 2,000 m is suggested to have a protective effect for hypospadias. Specific clusters have been identified with increased risk for hypospadias. Environmental risk factors in these areas need to be further studied given the association seen between altitude and the distribution of more severe cases. Figure Spatial-temporal analysis. Identified hypospadias clusters with increasing trends in prevalence (red) and clusters with decreasing trends (blue). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The presence of Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans has led to the development of a multi-ethnic, admixed population in Chile. This study aimed to contribute to the characterization of the uniparental genetic structure of three Chilean regions. Newborns from seven hospitals in Independencia, Providencia, Santiago, Curicó, Cauquenes, Valdívia, and Puerto Montt communes, belonging to the Chilean regions of Santiago, Maule, and Los Lagos, were studied. The presence of Native American mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups and two markers present in the non-recombinant region of the Y chromosome, DYS199 and DYS287, indicative of Native American and African ancestry, respectively, was determined. A high Native American matrilineal contribution and a low Native American and African patrilineal contributions were found in all three studied regions. As previously found in Chilean admixed populations, the Native American matrilineal contribution was lower in Santiago than in the other studied regions. However, there was an unexpectedly higher contribution of Native American ancestry in one of the studied communes in Santiago, probably due to the high rate of immigration from other regions of the country. The population genetic sub-structure we detected in Santiago using few uniparental markers requires further confirmation, owing to possible stratification for autosomal and X-chromosome markers.

Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is a spectrum of brain and facial malformations primarily reflecting genetic factors, such as chromosomal abnormalities and gene mutations. Here, we present a clinical and molecular analysis of 195 probands with HPE or microforms; approximately 72% of the patients were derived from the Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC), and 82% of the patients were newborns. Alobar HPE was the predominant brain defect in almost all facial defect categories, except for patients without oral cleft and median or lateral oral clefts. Ethmocephaly, cebocephaly, and premaxillary agenesis were primarily observed among female patients. Premaxillary agenesis occurred in six of the nine diabetic mothers. Recurrence of HPE or microform was approximately 19%. The frequency of microdeletions, detected using Multiplex Ligation-dependant Probe Amplification (MLPA) was 17% in patients with a normal karyotype. Cytogenetics or QF-PCR analyses revealed chromosomal anomalies in 27% of the probands. Mutational analyses in genes SHH, ZIC2, SIX3 and TGIF were performed in 119 patients, revealing eight mutations in SHH, two mutations in SIX3 and two mutations in ZIC2. Thus, a detailed clinical description of new HPE cases with identified genetic anomalies might establish genotypic and phenotypic correlations and contribute to the development of additional strategies for the analysis of new cases.