National congenital anomaly registers in the world: historical and operational aspects.

Objective: To identify registers of congenital anomalies with national coverage currently available around the world, highlighting their main historical and operational characteristics.
Methods: This was a documentary study by means of a Medline database search (via PubMed) and searches involving reports, official documents and websites. Studies reporting at least one national registry were included.
Results: 40 registers of national congenital anomalies were identified in 39 different countries. All registers included in the study were concentrated in upper-middle or high-income countries located in Europe. Most of the registers were population-based, compulsory notification and with a time limit for notification of up to 1 year of age. The Brazilian register showed the highest annual coverage.
Conclusion: The registers analyzed showed different characteristics, related to the reality of each country. The results presented provide support for the theme of congenital anomalies surveillance, especially in places where such activity is intended to be implemented.