Congenital Anomalies and assisted conception in the Population-based registry from a Spanish Region

Abstract

Abstract Background The Congenital Anomalies (CA) population-based Registry of Valencian Region (RPAC-CV) has identified 12917 cases during 2007-2017, confirmed by clinical documentation. The Spanish Fertility Society (SEF) has identified a CA's prevalence per 10000 live births (LB) from assisted conception of 305.2 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 296.1-314.2 from 2013 to 2017. Objective to identify differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics between cases with CA according to the type of conception: natural (N) or assisted (A). To determine the CA's prevalence of LB in the RPAC-CV. Methods RPAC-CV cases since 2007 until 2017 were classified in N or A conception, and their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were compared. Cases with no information about type of conception were excluded. The prevalence per 10000 LB with CI 95% in the RPAC-CV between 2013-2017 was calculated. Results Conception's information was available in 58.3% of the cases (90.4% N, 9.6% A). Differences were found in the following variables (values are shown by %N/%A) multiple pregnancy (6.5%/47.9%); birth before the 37th gestational week (24.5%/56.8%); weight at birth less than 2500 grams (24.6%/55.2%); dead before one week of age (4.4%/7.9%); mother older than 35 years (31.3%/64.2%). Statistically significant differences were found in the Nervous System CA group, being a higher proportion in A conception cases (12.5% (CI95%:9.8-15.2)) than in N (7.6% (CI95%:6.9-8.3)). The CA prevalence per 10000 LB in RPAC-CV was 194.1 (CI95%:188.3-199.9). Conclusions The CA's prevalence in the RPAC-CV was significantly lower compared to SEF's. Partially could be due to SEF includes minor CA and RPAC-CV not, although differences are overly high. Encourage the collection of the conception information in the clinical documentation will increase data quality in cases from assisted conception and allow having interesting information available for the development of health policies and research. Key messages CA’s prevalence, identified in a population-based registry from a Spanish region, was significantly lower than the one identified in assisted conception cases at national level for the same period. Analysing natural versus assisted conception, significant differences in cases’ characteristics have been identified in a CA’s population-based registry in Spain.