Abstract
A retrospective data analysis on prenatal diagnostics efficiency of selected types of birth defects in the Czech Republic. Incidences of selected both pre- and postnataly diagnosed defects in the Czech Republic in 2008 were processed and compared to corresponding data from 1994-2007 period.
In prenatal diagnostics a number of operations performed has been increasing and influencing incidences of some defects in births accordingly. Incidences in primarily severe defects in births has decreased significantly (anencephaly, spina bifida, abdominal wall defects), in others (Down syndrome) has decreased less significantly and in those defects which are not diagnosticable prenatally at the moment is more or less stable.
However, a spectrum of screening methods as well as methods of prenatal diagnostics in use has changed recently which makes their efficiency in some defects increasing and also moves their diagnostics into the first trimester of pregnancy.