Recommendations and Guidelines

On behalf of our colleagues in the Canadian Congenital Anomalies Surveillance Network (CCASN), we are pleased to introduce the Recommendations concerning the establishment of congenital anomalies surveillance in Canadian jurisdictions; and, Coding of fetal anomalies.

These documents were produced by the Surveillance Guidelines and Standards Working Group (former working group), CCASN, to assist health departments, institutions and other organizations across Canada in their efforts to implement, expand or improve congenital anomalies surveillance.

Congenital anomalies surveillance is a key function to ascertain the number and nature of congenital anomalies and to assess the potential impact of risk factors. Congenital anomalies surveillance has also other benefits, several of which relate directly to public health. These include:

• the identification of new teratogens;
• the identification of infants in need of special education services or health interventions;
• to determine the impact of preventive strategies such as food fortification with folic acid;
• the evaluation of changes in prenatal diagnosis and screening modalities.

We hope that these guidelines will be useful to improve the quality of surveillance activities for congenital anomalies, which are a major contributor to infant mortality, childhood morbidity and adult disability in Canada.

Jane A. Evans
Chair, Advisory Group, CCASN

R. Brian Lowry
Chair, Surveillance Guidelines and Standards Working Group (former working group), CCASN

Catherine McCourt
Director, Health Surveillance and Epidemiology Division, PHAC

• Recommendations concerning the establishment of congenital anomalies surveillance in Canadian jurisdictions
• Coding of fetal anomalies