Data and Statistics on Birth Defects

What to know

  • The United States does not have a national birth defects tracking system.
  • Most states have birth defects tracking systems that monitor selected birth defects.
  • Data from these state systems have been used to estimate how often birth defects occur in the United States.
  • These tables show the current national estimates of certain major birth defects in the United States.
Doctor sitting at a laptop, with a graphic of a survey layered over the photo.

Fast stats

Brain/spine defects

Specific defects

How often do they occur?

How many babies are affected each year?

1 in 5,246 births

700

1 in 10,365 births

354

1 in 2,875 births

1,278

Eye defects

Specific defects

How often do they occur?

How many babies are affected each year?

1 in 5,078 births

723

Heart defects

Specific defects

How often do they occur?

How many babies are affected each year?

1 in 1,712 births

2,146

Double outlet right ventricle (DORV)

1 in 4,237 births

867

Ebstein anomaly

1 in 12,916 births

284

1 in 3,955 births

929

Interrupted aortic arch (IAA)

1 in 10,058 births

365

1 in 972 births

3,779

1 in 6,708 births

548

Single Ventricle

1 in 15,356 births

239

1 in 2,077 births

1,768

Transposition of the great arteries (TGA)

1 in 3,348 births

1,097

1 in 5,527 births

665

1 in 11,309 births

325

Mouth/face defects

Specific defects

How often do they occur?

How many babies are affected each year?

1 in 1,032 births

3,560

1 in 1,583 births

2,320

Cleft lip alone

1 in 2,963 births

1,240

Cleft palate alone

1 in 1,583 births

2,321

Muscle/bone defects

Specific defects

How often do they occur?

How many babies are affected each year?

Clubfoot

1 in 536 births

6,850

1 in 3,214 births

1,143

1 in 2,439 births

1,506

1 in 2,064 births

1,779

1 in 4,021 births

914

Stomach/intestine defects

Specific defects

How often do they occur?

How many babies are affected each year?

Rectal and large intestinal atresia/stenosis

1 in 2,220 births

1,654

Chromosome (gene) malformations

Specific defects

How often do they occur?

How many babies are affected each year?

Trisomy 13

1 in 6,967 births

527

Trisomy 18

1 in 3,336 births

1,101

1 in 643 births

5,713