SEASONAL VARIATION IN THE RISK OF GASTROSCHISIS

Purpose: There have been conflicting reports on the incidence of gastroschisis and its seasonal variation. Studies have found an increased risk of gastroschisis in deliveries occurring in the winter months in the northern hemisphere. Other studies have not found a seasonal variation. To evaluate the existence of a seasonal variation in the incidence of gastroschisis in our patients a retrospective database analysis was conducted. Methods and Materials: Second trimester pregnancy screening was performed on 8031 patients between October 2001 und March 2005 with files available for analysis in our database. Mean ma…