Premature Mortality Due to Congenital Anomalies -
United States, 1984
Congenital anomalies were the fifth leading cause of years of
potential life lost before age 65 (YPLL) in 1985 and accounted
for 694,715 YPLL, or about 6%, of all YPLL (Table V, page 365).
In 1984, the latest year for which detailed mortality data are
available, they also ranked fifth. This report analyzes the 1984
data * on YPLL attributable to selected types of congenital
anomalies by race (white, all other).
The leading cause of premature mortality was congenital
anomalies of the cardiovascular system, such as transposition of
the great vessels. They accounted for 44% of YPLL due to
congenital anomalies. Defects of the nervous system such as spina
bifida, accounted for 15.2%, and respiratory-system and
chromosomal defects, such as Down's syndrome, each accounted for
about 9% of all YPLL due to congenital anomalies. There were only
minor variations by race in the proportional distributions of
YPLL by type of anomaly (Table 1).
The data for this report were obtained from detailed mortality
computer tapes available from the National Center for Health
Statistics, CDC.
Reported by: Birth Defects and Genetic Diseases Br, Div of Birth
Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Center for Environmental
Health, CDC.
Editorial Note
Editorial Note: YPLL statistics understate the full public health
impact of congenital anomalies. This is, in part, because
anomalies in infants who die shortly after birth may not be
diagnosed, and the infants' deaths are, therefore, not attributed
to congenital anomalies. Perhaps more importantly, YPLL
statistics are based only on live-born infants. This leads to
underestimation because a substantial number of babies with
anomalies are stillborn and an even greater number of malformed
fetuses are aborted spontaneously.
Improvements in the care of individuals with some types of
congenital anomalies may reduce YPLL in the future. Primary
prevention is the ultimate goal, however, because many who now
survive infancy with congenital anomalies face a lifetime of
morbidity. Such prevention will require the discovery of the
causes of anomalies which are known to operate during the first
trimester of pregnancy at the time of embryogenesis and
organogenesis.
Disclaimer
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**Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to mmwrq@cdc.gov.
