Browsing by Author "Wellesley, Diana"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 18
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Amniotic band syndrome and limb body wall complex in Europe 1980-2019Publication . Bergman, Jorieke E.H.; Barišić, Ingeborg; Addor, Marie‐Claude; Braz, Paula; Cavero‐Carbonell, Clara; Draper, Elizabeth S.; Echevarría‐González‐de‐Garibay, Luis J.; Gatt, Miriam; Haeusler, Martin; Khoshnood, Babak; Klungsøyr, Kari; Kurinczuk, Jennifer J.; Latos‐Bielenska, Anna; Luyt, Karen; Martin, Danielle; Mullaney, Carmel; Nelen, Vera; Neville, Amanda J.; O'Mahony, Mary T.; Perthus, Isabelle; Pierini, Anna; Randrianaivo, Hanitra; Rankin, Judith; Rissmann, Anke; Rouget, Florence; Sayers, Gerardine; Schaub, Bruno; Stevens, Sarah; Tucker, David; Verellen‐Dumoulin, Christine; Wiesel, Awi; Gerkes, Erica H.; Perraud, Annie; Loane, Maria A.; Wellesley, Diana; de Walle, Hermien E.K.Amniotic band syndrome (ABS) and limb body wall complex (LBWC) have an overlapping phenotype of multiple congenital anomalies and their etiology is unknown. We aimed to determine the prevalence of ABS and LBWC in Europe from 1980 to 2019and to describe the spectrum of congenital anomalies. In addition, we investigated maternal age and multiple birth as possible risk factors for the occurrence of ABS and LBWC. We used data from the European surveillance of congenital anomalies (EUROCAT) network including data from 30 registries over 1980–2019. We included all pregnancy outcomes, including live births, stillbirths, and terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomalies. ABS and LBWC cases were extracted from the central EUROCAT database using coding information responses from the registries. In total, 866 ABS cases and 451 LBWC cases were included in this study. The mean prevalence was 0.53/10,000 births for ABS and 0.34/10,000 births for LBWC during the 40 years. Prevalence of both ABS and LBWC was lower in the 1980s and higher in the United Kingdom. Limb anomalies and neural tube defects were commonly see in ABS, whereas in LBWC abdominal and thoracic wall defects and limb anomalies were most prevalent. Twinning was confirmed as a risk factor for both ABS and LBWC. This study includes the largest cohort of ABS and LBWC cases ever reported over a large time period using standardized EUROCAT data. Prevalence, clinical characteristics, and the phenotypic spectrum are described, and twinning is confirmed as a risk factor.
- Congenital hydronephrosis: Prenatal diagnosis and epidemiology in EuropePublication . Garne, Ester; Loane, Maria; Wellesley, Diana; Barisic, Ingeborg; EUROCAT Working GroupObjective: To describe prevalence, prenatal diagnosis and epidemiology of congenital hydronephrosis (CH) in Europe. Material and method: Data from a large European database for surveillance of congenital malformations (EUROCAT). The 20 participating registries are all based on multiple sources of information and include information about livebirths, fetal deaths with gestational age 20 weeks and terminations of pregnancy after prenatal diagnosis of malformations. Included were all cases with CH and born 1995e2004. Results: There were 3648 cases with CH giving an overall prevalence of 11.5 cases per 10,000 births. The large majority of cases were livebirths (3506, 96% of total) and only 17 cases were fetal deaths and 120 were terminations of pregnancy. Almost all livebirths were alive 1 week after birth. Boys accounted for 72% of all cases. A high proportion of the cases (86%) had an isolated renal malformation. There were large regional differences in prevalence of CH ranging from 2 to 29 per 10,000 births. There was little regional variation in the prevalence of postnatally diagnosed cases while there were large regional differences in prevalence of prenatally diagnosed cases. Conclusion: Cases with CH are mainly livebirths, boys and survive the first week after birth. The large difference in prevalence seems to be related to the availability of prenatal screening in the region. The impact of over-diagnosis and potential over-treatment in regions with high prevalence or under-diagnosis with implications for renal function later in life in regions with low prevalence needs further investigation.
- Epidemiology of achondroplasia: a population‐based study in EuropePublication . Coi, Alessio; Santoro, Michele; Garne, Ester; Pierini, Anna; Addor, Marie‐Claude; Alessandri, Jean‐Luc; Bergman, Jorieke E.H.; Bianchi, Fabrizio; Boban, Ljubica; Braz, Paula; Cavero‐Carbonell, Clara; Gatt, Miriam; Haeusler, Martin; Klungsøyr, Kari; Kurinczuk, Jennifer J.; Lanzoni, Monica; Lelong, Nathalie; Luyt, Karen; Mokoroa, Olatz; Mullaney, Carmel; Nelen, Vera; Neville, Amanda J.; O'Mahony, Mary T.; Perthus, Isabelle; Rankin, Judith; Rissmann, Anke; Rouget, Florence; Schaub, Bruno; Tucker, David; Wellesley, Diana; Wisniewska, Katarzyna; Zymak‐Zakutnia, Nataliia; Barišić, IngeborgAchondroplasia is a rare genetic disorder resulting in short-limb skeletal dysplasia. We present the largest European population-based epidemiological study to date using data provided by the European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies (EUROCAT) network. All cases of achondroplasia notified to 28 EUROCAT registries (1991-2015) were included in the study. Prevalence, birth outcomes, prenatal diagnosis, associated anomalies, and the impact of paternal and maternal age on de novo achondroplasia were presented. The study population consisted of 434 achondroplasia cases with a prevalence of 3.72 per 100,000 births (95%CIs: 3.14-4.39). There were 350 live births, 82 terminations of pregnancy after prenatal diagnosis, and two fetal deaths. The prenatal detection rate was significantly higher in recent years (71% in 2011-2015 vs. 36% in 1991-1995). Major associated congenital anomalies were present in 10% of cases. About 20% of cases were familial. After adjusting for maternal age, fathers >34 years had a significantly higher risk of having infants with de novo achondroplasia than younger fathers. Prevalence was stable over time, but regional differences were observed. All pregnancy outcomes were included in the prevalence estimate with 80.6% being live born. The study confirmed the increased risk for older fathers of having infants with de novo achondroplasia.
- Epidemiology of aplasia cutis congenita: A population‐based study in EuropePublication . Coi, Alessio; Barisic, Ingeborg; Garne, Ester; Pierini, Anna; Addor, Marie‐Claude; Aizpurua Atxega, Amaia; Ballardini, Elisa; Braz, Paula; Broughan, Jennifer M.; Cavero‐Carbonell, Clara; de Walle, Hermien E.K.; Draper, Elizabeth S.; Gatt, Miriam; Häusler, Martin; Kinsner‐Ovaskainen, Agnieszka; Kurinczuk, Jennifer J.; Lelong, Nathalie; Luyt, Karen; Mezzasalma, Lorena; Mullaney, Carmel; Nelen, Vera; Odak, Ljubica; O'Mahony, Mary T.; Perthus, Isabelle; Randrianaivo, Hanitra; Rankin, Judith; Rissmann, Anke; Rouget, Florence; Schaub, Bruno; Tucker, David; Wellesley, Diana; Wiśniewska, Katarzyna; Yevtushok, Lyubov; Santoro, MicheleBackground: Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by localized or widespread absence of skin at birth, mainly affecting the scalp. Most information about ACC exists as individual case reports and medium-sized studies. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of ACC, using data from a large European network of population-based registries for congenital anomalies (EUROCAT). Methods: Twenty-eight EUROCAT population-based registries in 16 European countries were involved. Poisson regression models were exploited to estimate the overall and live birth prevalence, to test time trends in prevalence between four 5-year periods and to evaluate the impact of the change of coding for ACC from the unspecific ICD9-BPA code to the specific ICD10 code. Proportions of ACC cases associated with other anomalies were reported. Results: Five hundred cases were identified in the period 1998-2017 (prevalence: 5.10 per 100,000 births). Prevalence across 5-year periods did not differ significantly and no significant differences were evident due to the change from ICD9 to ICD10 in ACC coding. Heterogeneity in prevalence was observed across registries. The scalp was the most common site for ACC (96.4%) and associated congenital anomalies were present in 33.8% of cases. Patau and Adams-Oliver syndromes were the most frequent among the associated chromosomal anomalies (88.3%) and the associated genetic syndromes (57.7%), respectively. 16% of cases were associated with limb anomalies and 15.4% with congenital heart defects. A family history of ACC was found in 2% of cases. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the only population-based study on ACC. The EUROCAT methodologies provide reliable prevalence estimates and proportions of associated anomalies.
- Epidemiology of Dandy-Walker Malformation in Europe: A EUROCAT Population-Based Registry StudyPublication . Santoro, Michele; Coi, Alessio; Barišić, Ingeborg; Garne, Ester; Addor, Marie-Claude; Bergman, Jorieke E.H.; Bianchi, Fabrizio; Boban, Ljubica; Braz, Paula; Cavero-Carbonell, Clara; Gatt, Miriam; Haeusler, Martin; Kinsner-Ovaskainen, Agnieszka; Klungsøyr, Kari; Kurinczuk, Jennifer J.; Lelong, Nathalie; Luyt, Karen; Materna-Kiryluk, Anna; Mokoroa, Olatz; Mullaney, Carmel; Nelen, Vera; Neville, Amanda Julie; O’Mahony, Mary T.; Perthus, Isabelle; Randrianaivo, Hanitra; Rankin, Judith; Rissmann, Anke; Rouget, Florence; Schaub, Bruno; Tucker, David; Wellesley, Diana; Yevtushok, Lyubov; Pierini, AnnaBackground: Dandy-Walker (DW) malformation is a rare and severe congenital anomaly of the posterior fossa affecting the development of the cerebellum and the fourth ventricle. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of DW malformation, using data from the European population-based registries of congenital anomalies in the European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies network. Methods: Anonymous individual data on cases of DW malformation diagnosed in 2002-2015 from 28 registries in 17 countries were included. Prevalence, prenatal detection rate, proportions and types of associated anomalies were estimated. Cases of DW variant were considered and analysed separately. Results: Out of 8,028,454 surveyed births we identified a total of 734 cases, including 562 DW malformation cases and 172 DW variant cases. The overall prevalence of DW malformation was 6.79 per 100,000 births (95% CI 5.79-7.96) with 39.2% livebirths, 4.3% foetal deaths from 20 weeks gestational age, and 56.5% terminations of pregnancy after prenatal diagnosis of foetal anomaly at any gestation (TOPFA). The livebirth prevalence was 2.74 per 100,000 births (95% CI 2.08-3.61). The prenatal detection rate was 87.6%. Two-hundred and seventy-three cases (48.6%) had an isolated cerebral anomaly and 24.2, 19.2 and 5.5% cases were associated with other structural non-cerebral anomalies, chromosomal anomalies and genetic syndromes respectively. The prevalence of DW variant was 2.08 per 100,000 (95% CI 1.39-3.13). Conclusions: This European population-based study provides the epidemiological profile of DW malformation. All birth outcomes were analysed and TOPFA represented more than half of the cases. About 50% of the cases of DW malformation were associated with other non-cerebral anomalies. Large populations and all birth outcomes are essential in epidemiological studies of rare and severe congenital anomalies.
- Epidemiology of Pierre‐Robin sequence in Europe: A population‐based EUROCAT studyPublication . Santoro, Michele; Coi, Alessio; Barišić, Ingeborg; Pierini, Anna; Addor, Marie‐Claude; Baldacci, Silvia; Ballardini, Elisa; Boban, Ljubica; Braz, Paula; Cavero‐Carbonell, Clara; Walle, Hermien E.K.; Draper, Elizabeth S.; Gatt, Miriam; Haeusler, Martin; Klungsøyr, Kari; Kurinczuk, Jennifer J.; Materna‐Kiryluk, Anna; Lanzoni, Monica; Lelong, Nathalie; Luyt, Karen; Mokoroa, Olatz; Mullaney, Carmel; Nelen, Vera; O’Mahony, Mary T.; Perthus, Isabelle; Randrianaivo, Hanitra; Rankin, Judith; Rissmann, Anke; Rouget, Florence; Schaub, Bruno; Tucker, David; Wellesley, Diana; Zymak‐Zakutnia, Nataliia; Garne, EsterBackground: Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) is a rare congenital anomaly. Respiratory disorders and feeding difficulties represent the main burden. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of PRS using a cohort of cases from EUROCAT, the European network of population-based registries of congenital anomalies. Methods: We analysed cases of PRS born in the period 1998-2017 collected by 29 population-based congenital anomaly registries in 17 different countries. We calculated prevalence estimates, prenatal detection rate, survival up to 1 week, and proportions of associated anomalies. The effect of maternal age was tested using a Poisson regression model. Results: Out of 11 669 155 surveyed births, a total of 1294 cases of PRS were identified. The estimate of the overall prevalence was 12.0 per 100 000 births (95% CI 9.9, 14.5). There was a total of 882 (68.2%) isolated cases, and the prevalence was 7.8 per 100 000 births (95% CI 6.7, 9.2). A total of 250 cases (19.3%) were associated with other structural congenital anomalies, 77 cases (6.0%) were associated with chromosomal anomalies and 77 (6.0%) with genetic syndromes. The prenatal detection rate in isolated cases was 12.0% (95% CI 9.8, 14.5) and increased to 16.0% (95% CI 12.7, 19.7) in the sub-period 2008-2017. The prevalence rate ratio of non-chromosomal cases with maternal age ≥35 was higher than in cases with maternal age <25 for total (PRR 1.26, 95% CI 1.05, 1.51) and isolated cases (PRR 1.33, 95% CI 1.00, 1.64). Survival of chromosomal cases (94.2%) and multiple anomaly cases (95.3%) were lower than survival of isolated cases (99.4%). Conclusions: This epidemiological study using a large series of cases of PRS provides insights into the epidemiological profile of PRS in Europe. We observed an association with higher maternal age, but further investigations are needed to test potential risk factors for PRS.
- Holt Oram syndrome: a registry-based study in EuropePublication . Barisic, Ingeborg; Boban, Ljubica; Greenlees, Ruth; Garne, Ester; Wellesley, Diana; Calzolar, Elisa; Addor, Marie-Claude; Arriola, Larraitz; Bergman, Jorieke EH; Braz, Paula; Judith LS Budd, Budd; Miriam, Gatt; Martin, Haeusler; Babak, Khoshnood; Kari, Klungsoy; Bob, McDonnell; Vera, Nelen; Anna, Pierini; Annette, Queisser-Wahrendorf; Judith, Rankin; Anke, Rissmann; Catherine, Rounding; David, Tucker; Christine, Verellen-Dumoulin; Helen, DolkBackground: Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterised by upper limb anomalies and congenital heart defects. We present epidemiological and clinical aspects of HOS patients using data from EUROCAT (European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies) registries. Methods:The study was based on data collected during 1990–2011 by 34 registries. The registries are population based and use multiple sources of information to collect data on all types of birth using standardized definitions,methodology and coding. Diagnostic criteria for inclusion in the study were the presence of radial ray abnormalities and congenital heart disease (CHD), or the presence of either radial ray anomaly or CHD, with family history of HOS. Results: A total of 73 cases of HOS were identified, including 11 (15.1%) TOPFA and 62 (84.9%) LB. Out of 73 HOS cases, 30.8%(20/65) were suspected prenatally, 55.4% (36/65) at birth, 10.7% (7/65) in the first week of life, and 3.1%(2/65) in the first year of life. The prenatal detection rate was 39.2% (20/51), with no significant change over the study period. In 55% (11/20) of prenatally detected cases, parents decided to terminate pregnancy. Thumb anomalies were reported in all cases. Agenesis/hypoplasia of radius was present in 49.2% (30/61), ulnar aplasia/ hypoplasia in 24.6% (15/61) and humerus hypoplasia/phocomelia in 42.6% (26/61) of patients. Congenital heart defects (CHD) were recorded in 78.7% (48/61) of patients. Isolated septal defects were present in 54.2 (26/48), while 25% (12/48) of patients had complex/severe CHD. The mean prevalence of HOS diagnosed prenatally or in the early years of life in European registries was 0.7 per 100,000 births or 1:135,615 births. Conclusions: HOS is a rare genetic condition showing regional variation in its prevalence. It is often missed prenatally, in spite of the existence of major structural anomalies. When discovered, parents in 45% (9/20) of cases opt for the continuation of pregnancy. Although a quarter of patients have severe CHD, the overall first week survival is very good, which is important information for counselling purposes.
- Long term trends in prevalence of neural tube defects in Europe: population based studyPublication . Khoshnood, Babak; Loane, Maria; Walle, Hermien de; Arriola, Larraitz; Addor, Marie-Claude; Barisic, Ingeborg; Beres, Judit; Bianchi, Fabrizio; Dias, Carlos Matias; Draper, Elizabeth; Garne, Ester; Gatt, Miriam; Haeusler, Martin; Klungsoyr, Kari; Latos-Bielenska, Anna; Lynch, Catherine; McDonnell, Bob; Nelen, Vera; Neville, Amanda J.; O’Mahony, Mary T.; Queisser-Luft, Annette; Rankin, Judith; Rissmann, Anke; Ritvanen, Annukka; Rounding, Catherine; Sipek, Antonin; Tucker, David; Verellen-Dumoulin, Christine; Wellesley, Diana; Dolk, HelenStudy question: What are the long term trends in the total (live births, fetal deaths, and terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly) and live birth prevalence of neural tube defects (NTD) in Europe, where many countries have issued recommendations for folic acid supplementation but a policy for mandatory folic acid fortification of food does not exist? Methods: This was a population based, observational study using data on 11 353 cases of NTD not associated with chromosomal anomalies, including 4162 cases of anencephaly and 5776 cases of spina bifida from 28 EUROCAT (European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies) registries covering approximately 12.5 million births in 19 countries between 1991 and 2011. The main outcome measures were total and live birth prevalence of NTD, as well as anencephaly and spina bifida, with time trends analysed using random effects Poisson regression models to account for heterogeneities across registries and splines to model non-linear time trends. Summary answer and limitations: Overall, the pooled total prevalence of NTD during the study period was 9.1 per 10 000 births. Prevalence of NTD fluctuated slightly but without an obvious downward trend, with the final estimate of the pooled total prevalence of NTD in 2011 similar to that in 1991. Estimates from Poisson models that took registry heterogeneities into account showed an annual increase of 4% (prevalence ratio 1.04, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.07) in 1995-99 and a decrease of 3% per year in 1999-2003 (0.97, 0.95 to 0.99), with stable rates thereafter. The trend patterns for anencephaly and spina bifida were similar, but neither anomaly decreased substantially over time. The live birth prevalence of NTD generally decreased, especially for anencephaly. Registration problems or other data artefacts cannot be excluded as a partial explanation of the observed trends (or lack thereof) in the prevalence of NTD. What this study adds: In the absence of mandatory fortification, the prevalence of NTD has not decreased in Europe despite longstanding recommendations aimed at promoting peri-conceptional folic acid supplementation and existence of voluntary folic acid fortification.
- Maternal age and the prevalence of congenital heart defects in Europe, 1995–2015: A register‐based studyPublication . Mamasoula, Chrysovalanto; Bigirumurame, Theophile; Chadwick, Thomas; Addor, Marie‐Claude; Cavero‐Carbonell, Clara; Matias Dias, Carlos; Echevarría‐González‐de‐Garibay, Luis‐Javier; Gatt, Miriam; Khoshnood, Babak; Klungsoyr, Kari; Randall, Kay; Stoianova, Sylvia; Haeusler, Martin; Nelen, Vera; Neville, Amanda J.; Perthus, Isabelle; Pierini, Anna; Bertaut‐Nativel, Bénédicte; Rissmann, Anke; Rouget, Florence; Schaub, Bruno; Tucker, David; Wellesley, Diana; Zymak‐Zakutnia, Natalya; Barisic, Ingeborg; de Walle, Hermien E.K.; Lanzoni, Monica; Sayers, Gerardine; Mullaney, Carmel; Pennington, Lindsay; Rankin, JudithBackground: Evidence on the direction and strength of association between maternal age and the prevalence of congenital heart defects (CHD) in different age group categories is conflicting. Some studies have illustrated different trends with an increase in prevalence in younger and older age groups while other studies have reported a linear relationship. Given the increase in maternal age over recent years, it is important to study the CHD prevalence by maternal age. Objectives: To examine the association between maternal age and the prevalence of CHD in Europe between 1995 and 2015 using population-based data from 24 registries belonging to the European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies (EUROCAT) network. Methods: Associations over time of all nonsyndromic CHD according to maternal age category and for three CHD severity groupings (severity group I: very severe; severity group II: severe; severity group III: less severe) were examined using Bayesian multilevel Poisson regression modeling. Further subgroup analyses were undertaken within four maternal age-bands: ≤24, 25–29, 30–34 and 35–44 years. Descriptive summaries are also presented. Results: There were 51,608 nonsyndromic CHD cases in Europe over the 20-year study period. Total prevalence for all CHD combined was increased for younger mothers (≤24 years) and for mothers 35–44 years of age when compared with mothers aged 25–29 years (reference group) (IRR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.07). The total prevalence was increased for severity group I (very severe) only for younger mothers compared to those aged 25–29 years (IRR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.23). We found an increased prevalence of the following CHD subtypes: double outlet right ventricle (IRR:1.33, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.60), hypoplastic left heart syndrome (IRR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.32), hypoplastic right heart syndrome (IRR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.84), atrioventricular septal defect (IRR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.32), coarctation of aorta (IRR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.28) and atrial septal defect (IRR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.13). For older mothers (35–44 years) compared to the reference category, we observed an increased risk in the prevalence for severity group II (IRR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.14), severity group III (IRR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.08) and an increased prevalence of the CHD subtypes: Pulmonary valve stenosis (IRR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.34), ASD (IRR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.13), CoA (IRR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.32) and Tetralogy of Fallot (IRR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.28). Finally, for all age categories compared to the reference category, different associations of ASD and an increased prevalence of CoA was also observed. Conclusions: Based on data for cases of CHD from 24 European populationbased registries, evidence of a positive association between maternal age and the total prevalence of CHD for younger (≤24 years old) and older (35–44 years old) mothers was observed. The results suggest that young maternal age (≤24 years old) is a factor associated with severe CHD phenotypes while a positive association between advanced maternal age (35–44 years old) and mild CHD phenotypes was observed.
- Maternal risk factors for the VACTERL association: a EUROCAT case-control studyPublication . van de Putte, Romy; van Rooij, Iris A.L.M.; Haanappel, Cynthia P.; Marcelis, Carlo L.M.; Brunner, Han G.; Addor, Marie‐Claude; Cavero‐Carbonell, Clara; Matias Dias, Carlos; Draper, Elizabeth S.; Etxebarriarteun, Larraitz; Gatt, Miriam; Khoshnood, Babak; Kinsner‐Ovaskainen, Agnieszka; Klungsoyr, Kari; Kurinczuk, Jenny J.; Latos‐Bielenska, Anna; Luyt, Karen; O'Mahony, Mary T.; Miller, Nicola; Mullaney, Carmel; Nelen, Vera; Neville, Amanda J.; Perthus, Isabelle; Pierini, Anna; Randrianaivo, Hanitra; Rankin, Judith; Rissmann, Anke; Rouget, Florence; Schaub, Bruno; Tucker, David; Wellesley, Diana; Wiesel, Awi; Zymak‐Zakutnia, Natalya; Loane, Maria; Barisic, Ingeborg; Walle, Hermien E.K.; Bergman, Jorieke E.H.; Roeleveld, NelBackground: The VACTERL association (VACTERL) is the nonrandom occurrence of at least three of these congenital anomalies: vertebral, anal, cardiac, tracheoesophageal, renal, and limb anomalies. Despite suggestions for involvement of several genes and nongenetic risk factors from small studies, the etiology of VACTERL remains largely unknown. Objective: To identify maternal risk factors for VACTERL in offspring in a large European study. Methods: A case-control study was performed using data from 28 EUROCAT registries over the period 1997-2015 with case and control ascertainment through hospital records, birth and death certificates, questionnaires, and/or postmortem examinations. Cases were diagnosed with VACTERL, while controls had a genetic syndrome and/or chromosomal abnormality. Data collected included type of birth defect and maternal characteristics, such as age, use of assisted reproductive techniques (ART), and chronic illnesses. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate confounder adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: The study population consisted of 329 VACTERL cases and 49,724 controls with recognized syndromes or chromosomal abnormality. For couples who conceived through ART, we found an increased risk of VACTERL (aOR 2.3 [95% CI 1.3, 3.9]) in offspring. Pregestational diabetes (aOR 3.1 [95% CI 1.1, 8.6]) and chronic lower obstructive pulmonary diseases (aOR 3.9 [95% CI 2.2, 6.7]) also increased the risk of having a child with VACTERL. Twin pregnancies were not associated with VACTERL (aOR 0.6 [95% CI 0.3, 1.4]). Conclusion: We identified several maternal risk factors for VACTERL in offspring befitting a multifactorial etiology.