EVALUATION OF PRENATAL-DIAGNOSIS OF LIMB REDUCTION DEFECTS BY A REGISTRY OF CONGENITAL-ANOMALIES

Prenatal diagnosis performed by ultrasound scan is now a routine part of antenatal care in our region. How many fetal anomalies are actually detected by this procedure? We have used our registry of congenital m alformations to answer this question regarding limb reduction defects (LRDs). The mean time of detection of LRDs was 26 weeks of pregnancy ( range 16-32 weeks). The sensitivity of prenatal diagnosis of LRDs by u ltrasonographic examination was much lower for isolated malformations (fetuses with only one anomaly) than for multiply malformed children w ith LRDs, 4.0 and 18.2 per cent, respectively. For all cases of LRDs, the percentage of prenatal detection was 11.5. Termination of pregnanc y was performed in 6.7 per cent of the cases.