Birth defects registries expanding in Latin America

Birth defects are the second leading cause of neonatal and child mortality worldwide. In the Americas, approximately one out of every ten deaths of children under the age of five is due to these anomalies. However, there is limited information on the actual burden of these conditions. According to Pablo Durán, Regional Advisor on Perinatal Health at the Latin American Center for Perinatology, Women and Reproductive Health (CLAP) of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), it is essential that the countries have these types of registries, which enable them to determine the disease burden from birth defects as well as their characteristics, which helps plan healthcare provider actions and responses.

CLAP, with support from the ministries of health, seeks to strengthen surveillance systems in the countries of the Region. The registries have proven to be very useful in emergencies, for example when Zika virus-related birth defects were discovered at the end of 2015. In Latin America, there are birth defects surveillance systems in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela … (PAHO, Aug. 8, 2019)