El ECLAMC: un observatorio de malformaciones congénitas / Latin-americancollaborative study of birth defects: evaluation of congenital malformation

RESUMO

Congenital anomalies are those already present at birth, resulting from disorders in embryological development. They can be classified as structural anomalies (malformations), affecting morphology of organs or body parts, and functional, as, for instance, blindness or mental retardation. Their etiology can be genetic or environmental. The ECLAMC (Estudio Colaborativo latino Americano de Malformaciones Congénitas) is a clinical-epidemiologic research program of birth defects and their prevention, by means of clinical evaluation, and a monitoring system which establishes frequencies and is aimed towards the detection of risk factors. The present article describes this research program