Prevalencia de síndrome de Down en CEHANI-ESE, San Juan de Pasto Colombia. 1998-2003

Prevalence of Down syndrome in the CEHANI-ESE in San Juan de Pasto Colombia. 1998-2003 Background: The Latin American Collaborative Study for Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC) has detected a higher incidence of Down syndrome in South America. In Colombia there are not reports about it. Aim: To analyze the prevalence rates of Down syndrome between 1998 and 2003 at the CEHANI-ESE Regional Center of reference in San Juan de Pasto located on the south of the Country. Material and methods: The information obtained by ECLAMC was used. This program, using a secondary data base (clinic history) as a method, registers all the patients who were born with congenital malformations attended in CEHANI, to be compared with the total of births of the same sex, in the population. Results: During the study period, 49 cases of Down syndrome were registered, with a mean rate of 5 per 10,000 live births, lower than expected. The rate variations along the years suggest a cyclic change, with a hemicycle of five years. Conclusions: In this Reference Center, mothers between 30 and 35 years of age, have the same risk of having a child with