Potential impact of pregnancy outcome on the completeness of diagnosis of birth defects, Hawai'i, 1986-2001.

Using data from a birth defects registry, this study investigated whether pregnancy outcome influences completeness of diagnosis ascertainment for cases with seven selected birth defects. For anencephaly, spina bifida, encephalocele, trisomy 21, trisomy 13, and trisomy 18, the proportion of isolated cases was higher among elective terminations than among live births. This was not the situation for omphalocele.