SEASONALITY OF ANENCEPHALIC BIRTHS AND PREOVULATORY OVERRIPENESS OVOPATHY

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 9  (3) , 273-280
Abstract
The total number of births and the anencephaly incidence rate in the Netherlands, during 1951-1968 (both corrected to estimate the conception curves), were analyzed to find their circannual fluctuations and to determine whether they were related. As predicted by the seasonal preovulatory overripeness ovopathy (SPOO) hypothesis, anencephalics are born disproportionately more often than expected during the peak months and less often during the troughs of the total birth curve. Overripeness ovopathy as a teratogenic factor may offer a unifying etiological concept which can also explain other epidemiological findings concerning congenital CNS defects. This concept may challenge the genetic theories of their causation, and offer new possiblities for primary prevention.

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