The Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations -ECLAMC- was created in 1967. It is a clinical and epidemiological research program for the study of congenital anomalies and their causes, in newborns from Latin American hospitals. In 1994 the ECLAMC was recognized by the World Health Organization as Collaborative Center for the Prevention of Congenital Malformations.

Approximately 100 hospitals distributed in 42 cities from 10 Latin American countries are in charge of the daily examination of births following identical guidelines. Diagnosed malformed newborns are registered in detail according to a single protocol. The ECLAMC has examined more than 4.000.000 births and its database includes information about 150.000 newborns with congenital anomalies.

The Laboratory of Genetic Epidemiology at the IMBICE is part of the ECLAMC coordination, together with the Research Department of the Center for Medical Education and Clinical Investigation (CEMIC) in Argentina , and the Genetics Department of Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil . This coordinating team receives, classifies, validates, corrects, files, tabulates and analyzes monthly-registered information.

For more than half of total congenital malformations, causes are still unknown. The essential purpose of the ECLAMC is the primary prevention of these defects by means of epidemiological surveillance and scientific research. In this context, this Laboratory of Genetic Epidemiology develops three main activities:

> Quarterly epidemiological surveillance of the frequency of congenital defects and assessment of the unusual occurrence of a specific congenital anomaly in a certain place and time, by means of a systematic methodology called Rumor.

> Study of genetic and environmental factors involved in the causality of congenital defects, by means of research projects on Genetic Epidemiology.

> Publication of primary prevention rules for congenital malformations in books and general informative articles.

 Research fields

Ø  Impact of environmental contaminants on the causality of congenital defects. 
Ø  Adverse socioeconomic factors and their relationship with congenital defects.
Ø  Study of clinical symptoms and patterns not yet described, by means of the recognition of syndromes and sequences in newborns with two or more associated anomalies.
Ø  Assessment of the impact of folic acid supply as primary preventing measure for the reduction of congenital defects occurrence in South American populations.

Staff

LÓPEZ CAMELO, Jorge Santiago, Investigador Independiente CONICET - Jefe de Laboratorio
[ ver curriculum vitae completo ]

CAMPAÑA, Hebe, Profesional de Apoyo CICPBA
[ ver curriculum vitae completo ]

PAWLUK, Mariela Soledad , Becario de Estudio CICPBA 
[ ver curriculum vitae completo ]