Accuracy of birth certificate data for detecting facial cleft defects in Arkansas children.

A comparison of facial cleft defects reported on birth certificates during the period 1943 to 1974 that were reported on birth certificates was made with records maintained by the Arkansas Crippled Childrens Services (CCS). A total of 506 cases were reported of which 331 (65%) were recorded on the birth certificate. Moreover, the accuracy of the reporting was not good. Only 243 (48%) cleft malformations were correctly classified on the birth certificate. Birth certificate information is an inadequate measure of the true facial cleft occurrence in Arkansas. Caution must be exercised when this data source is used in epidemiological surveys because over one-third of such defects were not recorded. These findings serve to reemphasize the national need to improve the quality of such vital health statistics sources.