Understanding the Causes of Major Birth Defects: Steps to Prevention

Birth defects are serious conditions that involve changes to the structure of one or more parts of the body. While the causes of many birth defects are still unknown, their importance and the impact on peoples’ lives are quite clear. Birth defects are common, occurring in 1 of every 33 babies born every year in the United States. Depending on the severity of the defect, the expected lifespan of a person with a birth defect can be greatly reduced. In 2011, of the 24,000 infants that died in their first year of life, 4,800 succumbed due to a birth defect. Additionally, birth defects are a leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations and medical expenditures. It is estimated that 2.6 billion US dollars are spent annually in caring for infants, children, and adults living with a birth defect.

CDC and its partners are working together to identify both genetic and environmental risk factors that may contribute to the development of birth defects. Folic acid fortification has been a major success in the prevention of some types of birth defects and there is ongoing research on the impact of interventions that target obesity, smoking, and diabetes. We have made great advances, but there is still much that can be done to understand and prevent birth defects.

In this session of Grand Rounds we discussed some of the research underway to identify the risk factors for birth defects and develop the key intervention strategies that can be used to help ensure that every child is born in the best possible health.