Background: There were 26,617 births attended at the University of Chile Clinical Hospital, of which 0.63% were stillborn. A frequency of malformations of 7.2 per born alive and of 22.1 per stillborn was detected in this population.
Aim: To report the frequency of digestive system congenital malformations in this population.
Material and methods: Analysis of data from the births that occurred at the University of Chile Hospital, that was gathered using codified form for the Latin American Collaborative Study for Congenital Malformations.
Results: Ninety seven digestive congenital malformations were detected, with a rate of 26.4 per 10,000 born alive and 12.2 per 10,000 stillborn. Diaphragmatic hernia was the most frequent malformation found, followed by imperforated anus, onphalocele and esophageal atresia. There was a secular increase in the frequency of these malformations.
Conclusions: The frequency of digestive system malformations is higher than in the rest of hospitals participating in the Latin American Collaborative Study for Congenital Malformations.