FOLLOW-UP VALIDATION-STUDY OF THE VICTORIAN CONGENITAL-MALFORMATIONS REGISTER

Objective: To determine whether there has been an improvement in ascer tainment of malformations in the Victorian Congenital Malformations Re gister (VCMR). Methodology: The medical records of 500 children under 4 years of age admitted consecutively to two paediatric teaching hospi tals in Victoria in 1992 were viewed to determine whether these cases had been notified to the Register. Results: Over three-quarters of the defects recorded had been notified to VCMR. There was 100% ascertainm ent of chromosomal anomalies and a high proportion of major structural malformations were notified. Conclusion: This study repeats the valid ation study completed in 1986 and shows marked improvement in ascertai nment of malformations in the VCMR by 1992.