Point prevalence at birth of ventricular septal defect in Hungary.

An attempt was made to estimate the occurrence of ventricular septal defect in Hungary. The study was based on data derived from three surveys. Point prevalence at birth of isolated ventricular septal defects amounted to 1.33 +/- 0.34%, 1.39 +/- 0.31% and 1.77 +/- 1.12%, respectively. Considering the diagnostic difficulties and other distorting factors, the figure of 1.5% is assumed to represent the actual point prevalence rate. Ventricular septal defect cases constituting part of the complex congenital cardiovascular malformations and of multiple malformations may increase the above 1.5% estimate by another 1%.