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Data and Statistics on Birth Defects

For Everyone

Apr. 21, 2026

Birth defects are structural changes present at birth that can affect almost any part of the body, such as the heart, brain, or foot.
National estimates of the frequency of birth defects use data from state birth defects tracking systems.
These tables present current national estimates of certain birth defects in the United States

Healthcare provider working on laptop with a graphic of a survey overlaid on the photo

National estimates by birth defect

Infographic with text that reads "1 in 33 babies is born with a birth defect in the U.S. each year" and a list of the 5 Most Common defects — Birth defects affect families across the United States

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Birth Defects Prevalence — U.S. National Estimates, 2018–2022

National estimates of birth defects prevalence by type and maternal factors.

Apr. 21, 2026

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Content Source:

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities

Sources

Stallings, E. B., Isenburg, J. L., Rutkowski, R. E., Kirby, R. S., Nembhard, W.N., Sandidge, T., Villavicencio, S., Nguyen, H. H., McMahon, D. M., Nestoridi, E., Pabst, L. J. National population-based estimates for major birth defects, 2016–2020. Birth Defects Research. 2024 Jan;116(1), e2301.