Birth defects surveillance: Assessing the 'gold standard'

M.A. Honein and L.J. Paulozzi

American Journal of Public Health, 1999, vol. 89, issue 8, 1238-1240

Abstract: Objectives. This study assessed the sensitivity of the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP) by capitalizing on the delayed receipt of a data source. Methods. In 1997, we reviewed the medical records of potential cases from the 1995 birth certificates that had not previously been identified by the MACDP. Capture-recapture methods produced an estimate of total cases. Results. We identified 1149 infants with defects, including 20 exclusively from birth certificates. The estimated sensitivity of the MACDP when data from birth certificates were included was 86.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 80.6%, 91.9%) at 1 year after birth, increasing to 94.8% (95% CI = 90.3%, 97.8%) at 2 years after birth. Conclusions. The MACDP under estimates defects by 13% at 1 year after birth and by 5% at 2 years after birth.

Date: 1999
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:1999:89:8:1238-1240_1

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