John Elflein
Research expert covering health and health care
Birth defects in the U.S. - Statistics & Facts
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every 33 babies born in the United States has a birth defect. Birth defects can be mild or severe and can affect almost any part of the body impacting physical and mental development, appearance, and organ function. Some things increase the risk of birth defects, such as having certain medical conditions, a family history of birth defects, drinking alcohol, smoking, and using certain drugs during pregnancy. However, the cause of most birth defects remains unknown, with a mix of genes, environment, and behavior all likely playing a role. Some of the most common birth defects in the United States include clubfoot, Down syndrome, pulmonary valve atresia and stenosis, and cleft lip/cleft palate. Although some birth defects are harmless, others require special long-term care, and can even result in premature death. According to the CDC, birth defects account for one in five deaths among infants, making them the leading cause of infant death in the United States. However, the death rate due to congenital birth defects among children under five has decreased significantly over the last few decades.
Congenital heart defects
Some of the scariest birth defects are those affecting the heart. The most common heart birth defects in the U.S. are pulmonary valve atresia and stenosis, atrioventricular septal defect, and coarctation of the aorta. One of the most serious heart defects is hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), which affects around one in 3,955 babies in the United States. In this condition, the heart cannot pump blood properly to the body due to the left side of the heart not forming correctly. The average life span of a person born with HLHS is around 30 years, and it is one of the costliest complex congenital heart defects. It is estimated that the annual direct and indirect costs per patient with HLHS is around 94,990 U.S. dollars. However, some congenital heart defects do not even require treatment, while treatment for others has greatly advanced over the years.Down syndrome: How common is it and what causes it?
Chromosome (gene) malformation birth defects are caused by genetic factors and include trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), and trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome). Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal birth defect and the least severe. It is estimated that around one in every 643 newborns in the United States has Down syndrome, with around 5,713 babies affected with this condition every year. A baby with Down syndrome has an extra copy of chromosome 21, which changes both the physical and mental development of the baby. Although it is still unclear why exactly Down syndrome occurs, one clear risk factor for Down syndrome is maternal age. For example, the likelihood a baby born to a mother aged 20 years will have Down syndrome is about one in 2,000, while for mothers aged 45 years it is about one in 30. Although those with Down syndrome require ongoing care, today they can live longer and healthier lives than ever before. In the early 1980s the average lifespan of a person with Down syndrome was just 25 years, while today it is approximately 60 years. This is just one example of how enhanced diagnosis and medical treatment has improved the lives of children born with birth defects. Although the causes may remain a mystery and birth defects will likely remain common, medical advances have greatly improved the lives and outcomes of many of those impacted by these conditions.
