Time trends (1980-1987) of ten selected informative morphogenetic variants in a newborn population.

The annual prevalence rates of ten selected informative morphogenetic variants (IMVs) were studied in 31,194 newborn infants over a period of 8 years (1980-1987). Two of them (preauricular sinus and ocular hypertelorism) revealed a highly significant decrease by logistic regression analysis. The other eight presented a stable pattern or small fluctuations which did not reach statistical significance. These data may serve as valuable baseline rates for monitoring IMVs in a specific newborn population. Their potential informative value as indicators of altered morphogenesis and their power for monitoring programs of environmental teratogenicity should be carefully verified.