[Congenital malformations in Latin America in the period 1995-2008].

BACKGROUND The Latin American Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC) has performed an epidemiological surveillance of congenital malformations since 1967. This allows to detect any unexpected change in the incidence of malformations, possibly caused by a new environmental teratogenic agent. AIM To report a summary of the results thus far obtained in this study. MATERIAL AND METHODS The ECLAMC database was analyzed and all live births and stillbirths of more than 500 grams in the period 1995-2008, were analyzed. RESULTS There were 2,409,407 births in the nine participant countries. Of these 31,516 (1.3%) were stillbirths. The global rate of congenital malformations in this sample was 2.7%. In the studied period, there was a significant reduction in the rates of anencephaly and spina bifida in Chile and Argentina. In the rest of the countries, the global rates of malformations increased. Venezuela had the higher rate of teenage pregnancies (25%), followed by Colombia (23%). Chile had the higher percentage of women aged 35 years or more giving birth (14%), followed by Uruguay (13%). However, Chile had the higher rate of Down syndrome and Uruguay, the lowest (24.7 and 13.6 per 10000). CONCLUSIONS There is a tendency towards an increase in the rates of congenital malformations in this sample, with significant differences among countries.