March of Dimes
National Perinatal Statistics
  Leading Categories of Birth Defects

The estimated incidences for the leading categories of birth defects are provided in the table below. Birth defects are grouped into three major categories: 1) structural/metabolic; 2) congenital infections; and 3) other conditions. Birth defects of the heart and circulatory system affect more infants than any other type of birth defect. Of all infants born each year, approximately 1 in 115 has heart and/or circulatory defects.

Birth Defects

Estimated Incidence

Structural/Metabolic

 

Heart and circulation

1 in 115 births

Muscles and skeleton

1 in 130 births

Club foot

1 in 735 births

Cleft lip/palate

1 in 930 births

Genital and urinary tract

1 in 135 births

Nervous system and eye

1 in 235 births

Anencephaly

1 in 8,000 births

Spina bifida

1 in 2,000 births

Chromosomal syndromes

1 in 600 births

Down syndrome (Trisomy 21)

1 in 900 births

Respiratory tract

1 in 900 births

Metabolic disorders

1 in 3,500 births

PKU

1 in 12,000 births

Congenital Infections

 

Congenital syphilis

1 in 2,000 births

Congenital HIV infection

1 in 2,700 births

Congenital rubella syndrome

1 in 100,000 births

Other

 

Rh disease

1 in 1,400 births

Fetal alcohol syndrome

1 in 1,000 births


Note: all numbers are based on the best available estimates, which underestimate the incidence of many birth defects.

Sources: March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center, 2000.  Unpublished review of the literature and information from various state and regional, birth defects surveillance systems (California, Iowa, Metropolitan Atlanta, New York, and Texas).

 		 
  © 2009 March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. All rights reserved. The March of Dimes is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality.