Fetal dysmorphism in spontaneous abortions in a Mexican population

Objective: The purpose of this research was to find out the frequency and t ype of fetal dysmorphism in spontaneous abortions among the Mexican populat ion Method: A prospective study was carried out in all the cases of spontan eous miscarriages occurring at the 'Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez' General Hospit al in Mexico City, from July 1989 to June 1999. Result: Two hundred and one empty sacs and 1555 well-defined embryos or fetuses were analyzed. Dysmorp hism was observed in 48% of the cases, malformations being the most frequen tly found. Among malformations the largest group corresponded to morphologi cal alterations not recognized in the postnatal life, facial clefts and clo sure defects of the abdominal wall were the known malformations of the post natal period most frequently found. The most common syndromic entities were suggestive of bone dysplasia and Turner phenotype. Conclusion: The frequen cy of fetal dysmorphism in spontaneous abortions is higher than in new born s. Its diagnosis is very important for genetic counseling. (C) 2001 Interna tional Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. All rights reserved.