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Introduction

 

 

Congenital anomalies affect around 2% of new born babies.  Some of these anomalies are suspected before birth following an ultrasound examination, or diagnosed as a result of an invasive prenatal diagnostic test (eg. Chorion Villous Sampling, amniocentesis) carried out because of, for example, a high risk screening test result, family history of anomaly or abnormal ultrasound scan.

The number and types of anomalies suspected before birth will depend on what tests are available, the experience of the operator and the accuracy of the particular test.  All of these factors are continually changing and vary between centres and countries.

EUROCAT Registries collect information on whether an anomaly was suspected prenatally, the gestation at first suspicion, the type of test that led to that suspicion and the outcome of the pregnancy.  Monitoring detection rates for different anomalies, the types of tests used and the outcome of affected pregnancies is an important part of the work carried out by EUROCAT.