APPARENTLY NORMAL FREQUENCY OF CONGENITAL-ANOMALIES IN THE HIGHLY POLLUTED TOWN OF CUBATAO, BRAZIL

Anencephaly is Suspected to cluster in the municipality of Cubatao (Br azil), and is attributed to industrial pollution. We surveyed malforma tions prospectively in 10,000 births, in 3 consecutive series, corresp onding to 3 maternity hospital in Cubatao, under working definitions a nd norms taken from the ECLAMC (Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations). The sample from Cubatao had a higher propor tion of black racial ancestry, and lower frequencies for stillbirths a nd for immediate neonatal death, than in the rest of South America. Th e birth prevalence of malformations varied between the 3 hospitals in Cubatao, due to differences in ascertainment of minor defects. A highe r-than-expected prevalence rate in Cubatao was observed only for posta xial polydactyly, probably due to a higher proportion of black racial ancestry, while lower-than-expected rates were obtained for congenital dislocation of the hip, and for babies with multiple congenital anoma lies patterns, both of them attributed to underascertainment of minor defects. These observations do not support the suspicion of an elevate d birth prevalence rate for anencephaly, neural tube defects, or any o ther major congenital malformation in Cubatao. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, In c.