Trends in congenital anomalies in Europe from 1980 to 2012.

BACKGROUND: Surveillance of congenital anomalies is important to identify potential teratogens. METHODS: This study analysed the prevalence of 61 congenital anomaly subgroups (excluding chromosomal) in 25 population-based EUROCAT registries (1980-2012). Live births, fetal deaths and terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly were analysed with multilevel random-effects Poisson regression models. RESULTS: Seventeen anomaly subgroups had statistically significant trends from 2003-2012; 12 increasing and 5 decreasing. CONCLUSIONS: The annual increasing prevalence of severe congenital heart defects, single ventricle, atrioventricular septal defects and tetralogy of Fallot of 1.4% (95% CI: 0.7% to 2.0%), 4.6% (1.0% to 8.2%), 3.4% (1.3% to 5.5%) and 4.1% (2.4% to 5.7%) respectively may reflect increases in maternal obesity and diabetes (known risk factors). The increased prevalence of cystic adenomatous malformation of the lung [6.5% (3.5% to 9.4%)] and decreased prevalence of limb reduction defects [-2.8% (-4.2% to -1.5%)] are unexplained. For renal dysplasia and maternal infections, increasing trends may be explained by increased screening, and deceases in patent ductus arteriosus at term and increases in craniosynostosis, by improved follow up period after birth and improved diagnosis. For oesophageal atresia, duodenal atresia/stenosis and ano-rectal atresia/stenosis recent changes in prevalence appeared incidental when compared with larger long term fluctuations. For microcephaly and congenital hydronephrosis trends could not be interpreted due to discrepancies in diagnostic criteria. The trends for club foot and syndactyly disappeared once registries with disparate results were excluded. No decrease in neural tube defects was detected, despite efforts at prevention through folic acid supplementation

Prenatal detection of congenital renal malformations by fetal ultrasonographic examination: An analysis of 709,030 births in 12 European countries

En este artículo se analizan las razones del ascenso del populismo en las elecciones europeas de 2014 desde el supuesto de que dicho ascenso tiene sus antecedentes en una previa situación de crisis del modelo de crecimiento europeo y del Estado de bienestar. Se analizan también el diferente comportamiento electoral de los principales países de la Unión Europea y la evolución del respaldo electoral de los partidos políticos mayoritarios en el Parlamento Europeo.In this article we analyze the reasons of the populism rise in the European elections of 2014 under the supposition that this rise took place in a previous situation of crisis of European growth’s model and of the Welfare State. We also analyze the different electoral behavior of the principal European Union countries and the evolution of the electoral support to the political parties with majority in the European Parliament