Congenital clubfoot in Europe: A population-based study

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Medical Genetics
• Public Health

Background:

• Congenital clubfoot is a common birth defect with varying prevalence globally.
• Accurate data collection and reporting are crucial for understanding congenital anomaly trends.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence, birth outcomes, and associated anomalies of congenital clubfoot in Europe.
• To evaluate the prenatal diagnosis rate of congenital clubfoot.
• To validate the accuracy of congenital clubfoot recording within the EUROCAT network.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 18 EUROCAT registries (1995-2011) covering over 4.8 million births.
• Analyzed 5,458 congenital clubfoot cases, focusing on liveborn infants and isolated cases.
• Validated diagnostic details and treatment for a subset of cases through questionnaires.

Main Results:

• Overall congenital clubfoot prevalence was 1.13 per 1,000 births, with decreasing trends observed.
• Isolated congenital clubfoot accounted for 82% of cases; 11% had associated anomalies.
• Prenatal detection of isolated clubfoot increased over time, reaching 22%.

Conclusions:

• Congenital clubfoot prevalence in Europe shows a decreasing trend, particularly after 1999-2002.
• Prenatal detection rates for congenital clubfoot are rising, improving early diagnosis.
• EUROCAT registries demonstrate a high standard for coding congenital clubfoot cases.