Member details

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History:

The Programme was started in 1966. The Programme was a full member until 1987, when it became an associate member. The,Programme was discontinued as an associate member of the ICBDSR in the early 1990s, and reinstated its member status in 1996.

Size and coverage::

This system presently monitors about 30,000 births annually, which captures virtually all live births and registered stillbirths (a birth weight of greater or equal to 500 grams, or greater than or equal to 20 weeks in pregnancy) in the 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada.

Legislation and funding:

Reporting is done by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) as part of its national surveillance mandate. For congenital anomalies reporting, PHAC uses hospitalization data obtained through the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). Med-Echo (Système de maintenance et d’exploitation des données pour l’étude de la clientèle hospitalière) for the province of Québec provides their data separately up to 2007.

Sources of ascertainment:

Cases from most provinces and territories are ascertained from hospital admission -separation summary records collected by CIHI and Med-Echo. The Alberta Congenital Anomalies Surveillance System provides its own separate provincial data. All data sources had a one year follow-up period until 2000. Since 2001, all data provided by CIHI only include a 30-day follow-up period.

Exposure information:

Currently no exposure information is routinely collected.,

Background information:

Background information is based on hospital admission/separation summary records from CIHI and Med-Echo. Alberta Congenital,Anomalies Surveillance provides its own background information. Interpretation of trends should be done cautiously, since 2001,an increasing percentage of records are being coded using ICD-10 CA and may cause discrepancies from previously used ICD-9,coding. Also, as mentioned previously the variation in the follow-up period is another factor which may alter reporting of trends.

Addresses and staff:

Wei Luo, Manager, Congenital Anomalies Surveillance System,Phone: 1-613-863-8252,E-mail: wei.luo@canada.ca ,,Chantal Nelson, Senior Epidemiologist ,Phone: 1-613-447-1095,E-mail: Chantal.nelson@canada.ca

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International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects

International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects