Tabriz Registry of Congenital Anomalies

Until the recent years, there were no reliable data available about the prevalence, aetiology, and preventive strategies of congenital anomalies in Iran. Beginning from 2000, a research project on the epidemiology of congenital anomalies was carried out aiming to document the epidemiologic features of congenital anomalies in the northwest region of Iran, and to provide the baseline components to set up a regional registry of birth defects. Accordingly, Tabriz Registry of Congenital Anomalies (TRoCA) was then established. TRoCA is the first programme for the surveillance of birth defects in the country. It has since been running for more than two decades now.