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Article: Improved national prevalence estimates for 18 selected major birth defects--United States, 1999-2001.
- Article from:
- MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
- Article date:
- January 6, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 U.S. Government Printing Office. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Continuing efforts are needed to improve surveillance for birth defects, which are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States (1). Although state and local surveillance data indicate that approximately 3% of births are affected by any of 45 birth defects, no national estimates based on population-based birth defects surveillance have been available for specific types of birth defects other than neural tube defects (spina bifida and anencephaly). This report describes estimates of national prevalence and number of affected births in the United States each year during 1999-2001 for 18 selected major birth defects. The findings indicated that 10 of the 18 ...