Prevalence of hypospadias in Italy according to severity, gestational age and birthweight: an epidemiological study.

Background: Hypospadias is a congenital displacement of the urethral meatus in male newborns, being either an isolated defect at birth or a sign of sexual development disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence rate of hypospadias in different Districts of Italy, in order to make a comparison with other countries all over the world.

Methods: We reviewed all the newborns file records (years 2001-2004) in 15 Italian Hospitals.