Incidence of some surgically correctable congenital abnormalities in South Australia

A retrospective 5 yr survey of the incidence of some neonatal surgically correctable congenital abnormalities in South Australia has been carried out. Meaningful figures have been obtained for the incidence, in terms of the live birth rate, of obstructive malformation of the gastrointestinal tract, major abdominal wall and diaphragmatic defects, and some anomalies of the genitourinary system. In the main, the incidence of these malformations is similar to that reported from other centers. However the incidence of exomphalos and small bowel obstructions is lower in this series than in others, and the incidence of tracheoesophageal and anorectal anomalies appears to be slightly higher in South Australia than in Victoria. The incidence of diaphragmatic defects, excluding esophageal hiatus, is very similar to that ascertained by the perinatal mortality survey carried out by Butler and Claireaux.