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Congenital Hydrocephalus in Japan I 969–1982: Secular Trends, Geographical and Social Class Variations
Author(s) -
IMAIZUMI Yoko
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
congenital anomalies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1741-4520
pISSN - 0914-3505
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-4520.1988.tb00589.x
Subject(s) - congenital hydrocephalus , hydrocephalus , secular variation , demography , abortion , medicine , fetus , pregnancy , pediatrics , surgery , biology , genetics , sociology
Nation‐wide data in Japan between 1969–1982 on 3,650 cases of fetal death and 2,397 cases of postnatal death caused by congenital hydrocephalus were analyzed. The prevalence rate of congenital hydrocephalus decreased yearly. This reduction is attributed to prenatal detection and selective abortion among fetal deaths, and surgical correction of hydrocephalus postnatally. The prevalence rate per 1,000 births was 0.22 in urban areas and 0.25 in rural areas between 1969–1982, and the difference was significant. The prevalence rate was slightly higher in the southwest part of Japan than in the northeast. Social class variation in the prevalence rate was present.