Abstract
Birth defects (BD), also known as congenital anomalies, are structural or functional abnormalities present at birth as a result of abnormal prenatal development. Their cause can be broadly categorized as genetic, environmental, or a combination of both. It is estimated that approximately 3–6% of newborn infants worldwide are affected by BD, many of which are associated with serious morbidity, mortality, and lifelong disabilities. The International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research (ICBDSR), founded in 1974, promotes worldwide birth defect surveillance, research, and prevention through the ongoing sharing of data, expertise, and training. In this review, we show value and contribution of BD surveillance systems in pursuing these aims. In the time of personalized medicine for many rare and common diseases, there are still massive gaps in our understanding of the causes and mechanisms of many birth defects, especially structural congenital anomalies. The main aim of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all children. One specific goal is to end preventable deaths of newborns and children less than 5 years of age by 2030. The SDGs also underscore the need to consider BD as a priority in the global child health agenda. It can be said that counting BD helps BD to count. By sharing data and expertise and joining in surveillance and research, BD surveillance programs can play a major role in increasing our understanding of the causes of BD, and promoting prevention.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bermejo-Sánchez E, Cuevas L, Amar E, Bakker MK, Bianca S, Bianchi F, Canfield MA, Castilla EE, Clementi M, Cocchi G, Feldkamp ML, Landau D, Leoncini E, Li Z, Lowry RB, Mastroiacovo P, Mutchinick OM, Rissmann A, Ritvanen A, Scarano G, Siffel C, Szabova E, Martínez-Frías M-L (2011a) Amelia: a multi-center descriptive epidemiologic study in a large dataset from the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research, and overview of the literature. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet 157:288–304. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.c.30319
Bermejo-Sánchez E, Cuevas L, Amar E, Bianca S, Bianchi F, Botto LD, Canfield MA, Castilla EE, Clementi M, Cocchi G, Landau D, Leoncini E, Li Z, Lowry RB, Mastroiacovo P, Mutchinick OM, Rissmann A, Ritvanen A, Scarano G, Siffel C, Szabova E, Martínez-Frías M-L (2011b) Phocomelia: a worldwide descriptive epidemiologic study in a large series of cases from the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research, and overview of the literature. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet 157:305–320. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.c.30320
Bjerkedal T, Czeizel A, Goujard J, Kallen B, Mastroiacovo P, Nevin N, Oakley G Jr, Robert E (1982) Valproic acid and spina bifida. Lancet 2(8307):1096
Botto LD, Lisi A, Bower C, Canfield MA, Dattani N, De Vigan C, De Walle H, Erickson DJ, Halliday J, Irgens LM, Lowry RB, McDonnell R, Metneki J, Poetzsch S, Ritvanen A, Robert-Gnansia E, Siffel C, Stoll C, Mastroiacovo P (2006) Trends of selected malformations in relation to folic acid recommendations and fortification: an international assessment. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol 76(10):693–705
Botto LD, Feldkamp ML, Amar E, Carey JC, Castilla EE, Clementi M, Cocchi G, de Walle HEK, Halliday J, Leoncini E, Li Z, Lowry RB, Marengo LK, Martínez-Frías M-L, Merlob P, Morgan M, Muñoz LL, Rissmann A, Ritvanen A, Scarano G, Mastroiacovo P (2011) Acardia: epidemiologic findings and literature review from the International Clearinghouse of Birth Defects Surveillance and Research. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet 157:262–273. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.c.30318
Castilla EE, Mastroiacovo P, López-Camelo JS, Saldarriaga W, Isaza C, Orioli IM (2008) Sirenomelia and cyclopia cluster in Cali, Colombia. Am J Med Genet A 146A:2626–2636
CDC (2017) Announcement. World Birth Defects Day — March 3, 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 66:195. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr6607a4 Accessed 1 Jun 2017
Christianson A, Howson CP, Modell B (2006) March of Dimes: Global Report on birth defects. The hidden toll of dying and disabled children. March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. White Plain, New York Available from: www.marchofdimes.com/glue/files/Birth_Defects_Report-PF.pdf. Accessed 1 Jun 2017
Feldkamp ML, Botto LD, Amar E, Bakker MK, Bermejo-Sánchez E, Bianca S, Canfield MA, Castilla EE, Clementi M, Csaky-Szunyogh M, Leoncini E, Li Z, Lowry RB, Mastroiacovo P, Merlob P, Morgan M, Mutchinick OM, Rissmann A, Ritvanen A, Siffel C, Carey JC (2011) Cloacal exstrophy: an epidemiologic study from the International Clearinghouse of Birth Defects Surveillance and Research. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet 157:333–343. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.c.30317
Feldkamp ML, Carey JC, Byrne JLB, Krikov S, Botto LD (2017) Etiology and clinical presentation of birth defects: population based study. BMJ 357:j2249. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j2249
Flores A, Valencia D, Sekkarie A, Hillard CL, Williams J, Groisman B, Botto LD, Peña-Rosas JP, Bauwens L, Mastroiacovo P (2015) Building capacity for birth defects surveillance in Africa: implementation of an intermediate birth defects surveillance workshop. J Glob Health Perspect 2015, 1
ICBDSR (2017) Web page for annual reports. http://www.icbdsr.org/resources/annual-report/. Accessed 1 Jun 2017
ICBDSR (International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research) (2014) Annual Report Ed. ICBD. Rome, 2015. Available from: http://www.icbdsr.org/wp-content/annual_report/Report2014.pdf. Accessed 1 Jun 2017
Källén B, Bertollini E, Castilla E, Czeizel A, Knudsen LB, Martínez-Frías ML, Mastroiacovo P, Mutchinick O (1986) A joint international study on the epidemiology of hypospadias. Acta Pediatr Scand Suppl 324:1–52
Lenz W (1961) Kindliche Miβbildungen nach Medicamenten-Einnahme während der gravidität? Dtsch Med Wochenschr 86:2555–2556
Lenz W, Knapp K (1962) Die thalidomide-embryopathie. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 87:1232–1242
Leoncini E, Baranello G, Orioli IM, Annerén G, Bakker M, Bianchi F, Bower C, Canfield MA, Castilla EE, Cocchi G, Correa A, De Vigan C, Doray B, Feldkamp ML, Gatt M, Irgens LM, Lowry RB, Maraschini A, Mc Donnell R, Morgan M, Mutchinick O, Poetzsch S, Riley M, Ritvanen A, Gnansia ER, Scarano G, Sipek A, Tenconi R, Mastroiacovo P (2008) Frequency of holoprosencephaly in the International Clearinghouse Birth Defects Surveillance Systems: searching for population variations. Birth Def Res A Clin Mol Teratol 82(8):585–591. https://doi.org/10.1002/bdra.20479
Lisi A, Botto LD, Robert-Gnansia E, Castilla EE, Bakker MK, Bianca S, Cocchi G, de Vigan C, Dutra Mda G, Horacek J, Merlob P, Pierini A, Scarano G, Sipek A, Yamanaka M, Mastroiacovo P (2010) Surveillance of adverse fetal effects of medications (SAFE-Med): findings from the International Clearinghouse of Birth Defects Surveillance and Research. Reprod Toxicol 29(4):433–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reprotox.2010.03.005
Liu L, Oza S, Hogan D, Chu Y, Perin J, Zhu J, Lawn JE, Cousens S, Mathers C, Black RE (2016) Global, regional, and national causes of under-5 mortality in 2000-15: an updated systematic analysis with implications for the Sustainable Development Goals. Lancet 388(10063):3027–3035. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31593-8
Mutchinick OM, Luna-Muñoz L, Amar E, Bakker MK, Clementi M, Cocchi G, da Graça Dutra M, Feldkamp M, Landau D, Leoncini E, Li Z, Lowry B, Marengo LK, Martínez-Frías M-L, Mastroiacovo P, Métneki J, Morgan M, Pierini A, Rissman A, Ritvanen A, Scarano G, Siffel C, Szabova E, Arteaga-Vázquez J (2011) Conjoined twins: a worldwide collaborative epidemiological study of the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet 157:274–287. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.c.30321
Orioli IM, Amar E, Bakker MK, Bermejo-Sánchez E, Bianchi F, Canfield MA, Clementi M, Correa A, Csáky-Szunyogh M, Feldkamp ML, Landau D, Leoncini E, Li Z, Lowry RB, Mastroiacovo P, Morgan M, Mutchinick OM, Rissmann A, Ritvanen A, Scarano G, Szabova E, Castilla EE (2011a) Cyclopia: an epidemiologic study in a large dataset from the International Clearinghouse of Birth Defects Surveillance and Research. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet 157:344–357. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.c.30323
Orioli IM, Amar E, Arteaga-Vazquez J, Bakker MK, Bianca S, Botto LD, Clementi M, Correa A, Csaky-Szunyogh M, Leoncini E, López-Camelo JS, Li Z, Lowry RB, Marengo L, Martínez-Frías ML, Mastroiacovo P, Morgan M, Pierini A, Ritvanen A, Scarano G, Szabova E, Castilla EE (2011b) Sirenomelia: an epidemiologic study in a large dataset from the International Clearinghouse of Birth Defects Surveillance and Research, and literature review. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet 157:358–373. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.c.30324
Robert E, Guibaud P (1982) Maternal valproic acid and congenital neural tube defects. Lancet 2(8304):937
Siffel C, Correa A, Amar E, Bakker MK, Bermejo-Sánchez E, Bianca S, Castilla EE, Clementi M, Cocchi G, Csaky-Szunyogh M, Feldkamp ML, Landau D, Leoncini E, Li Z, Lowry RB, Marengo LK, Mastroiacovo P, Morgan M, Mutchinick OM, Pierini A, Rissmann A, Ritvanen A, Scarano G, Szabova E, Olney RS (2011) Bladder exstrophy: an epidemiologic study from the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research, and an overview of the literature. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet 157:321–332. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.c.30316
United Nations (2015a) Sustainable Development Goals. United Nations, New York http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/summit/. Accessed 1 Jun 2017
United Nations (2015b) Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015. A/RES/70/1. United Nations, New York http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E. Accessed 1 Jun 2017
WHO/CDC/ICBDSR (2014) Birth defects surveillance: a manual for programme managers. World Health Organization, Geneva Available from: http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/birthdefects_manual/en/. Accessed 1 Jun 2017
WHO/CDC/ICBDSR (2015) Birth defects surveillance training: facilitator’s guide. World Health Organization, Geneva Available from: http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/birthdefects_training_facilitators_guide/en/. Accessed 1 Jun 2017
World Health Assembly (2010) Resolution of the sixty-three World Health Assembly (WHA63.17). http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA63/A63_R17-en.pdf. Accessed 1 Jun 2017
Zarocostas J (2006) Serious birth defects kill at least three million children a year. BMJ 332:256
Acknowledgments
ICBDSR wishes to thank all its members, which operate BD surveillance programs, systematically collecting data, sharing data for worldwide surveillance, being advocates in their countries for better knowledge and awareness on BD, contributing to enhance BD surveillance and research in their countries and abroad, and undertaking or participating in collaborative research on BD in the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research, also in collaboration with other organizations in the field, to achieve the common goal of infants being born healthy.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
Authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Informed consent
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Additional information
This article is part of the Topical Collection on Epidemiological Methods in Community Genetics.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bermejo-Sánchez, E., Botto, L.D., Feldkamp, M.L. et al. Value of sharing and networking among birth defects surveillance programs: an ICBDSR perspective. J Community Genet 9, 411–415 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12687-018-0387-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12687-018-0387-z