What are the most common birth defects?

Question: What are the most common birth defects?

Answer: Most pregnant women worry about birth defects. The older a woman is at the time of pregnancy, the more likely she is to have certain birth defects. The most common birth defects are:

• Cleft lip
• cleft palate
• Down's syndrome

These three birth defects effect about 12,000 babies every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) the rates of Down's Syndrome are about 1 in 1000 births for moms who are under 30 and 1 in 105 births for moms who are 40.

Prenatal testing for birth defects can be done in numerous ways. A mother may choose to have a screening for Down's Syndrome using the Nuchal Fold Screening via ultrasound, done between weeks 9-13 of pregnancy. She may also choose to have genetic test (more reliable, but more invasive and riskier) via amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS). Ultrasounds done later in pregnancy to screen for cleft lip and/or cleft palate.

Note:
The rates for congenital heart defects is 1 in 125 to 150. More information.

Resources
Canfield et al, "Improved National Prevalence Estimates for 18 Selected Major Birth Defects-United States, 1999-2001," MMWR, January 6, 2006; 54 (51&52); p. 1301-1305

8/14/07