List of Birth Defects

Results from our 2015 Registry report provides data on the most frequently reported birth defects.  This lists the structural and functional birth defects reported to the registry by frequency. Of course, the functional problems far outnumber the structural birth defects.

Since October of 2015, parents have completed 3983 questionnaires with case reports for 4529 children (more than one child in a family can be reported on a questionnaire) in the on-­‐line National Birth Defect Registry. We have reports for 2372 males, 2144 females and 13 cases where the sex was not entered.

See our full report for details

List of Birth Defects Count
Allergies 1048
Motor Skills Delay 938
Speech Delay 858
Reflux 850
Speech 765
Frequent Ear Infections 660
Depression 644
Asthma 633
Anxiety Disorder 627
Anger 595
Mood Swings 592
Frequent Upper Respiratory Infections 574
Frequent Headaches 565
Comprehension 555
Joint Pain 553
Spelling/Writing 533
Math 530
Eczema 505
Sleep Disorder 494
Muscle Pain/Weakness 486
Attention Deficit With Hyperactivity 484
Colic As Baby 479
Memory Problems 477
Chronic Stomach Problems 475
Food Sensitivity 468
Drug Reaction 460
Distractibility 455
Scoliosis 444
Jaundice At Birth 434
Heart Murmur 432
Language Processing 425
Heat/Cold Sensitivity 372
Menstrual Problems 358
Obsessive/Compulsive 346
Hay Fever (Allergic Rhinitus) 340
Abnormal Teeth 331
Sensory Integration Dysfunction 323
Attention Deficit Without Hyperactivity 320
Retardation 319
Dyslexia/Reading 311
Gastroschisis 307
Seizure Disorder 294
Vision Defect 291
Malformed Fingers, Hands Or Arms 289
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 289
Frequent Urinary Tract Infections 288
Partial Hearing Loss 275
Astigmatism 270
Acne-­‐Like Rash 263
Light Sensitivity 262
Cleft Palate 257
Hypotonia (Floppy Muscles) 247
Anemia 240
Strawberry Birth Mark 237
Muscle (Absent Or Underdeveloped) 232
Auditory Processing Deficit 231
Malformed Toes, Feet Or Legs 229
Undescended Testicles 220
Hives 220
Arthritis 220
Clubfoot 213
Latex 213
Unexplained Fevers 213
Apnea 213
Thyroid Defect 211
Amblyopia (Lazy Eye) 210
High Arched Palate 209
Unexplained Fevers 209
Ovarian Cyst 207
Bi-­‐Polar 201
Ventricular Septal Defect 190
Malformations Of Vertebrae 187
Frequent Nose Bleeds 187
Autism 185
Walks On Tiptoes 185
Visual Memory Deficits 182
Hydrocephalus 174
Frequent Pneumonia 174
Facial Asymmetry 173
Atrial Septal Defect 171
Hair Loss 169
Low Set Ears 166
Lung (Absent Or Underdeveloped) 164
Cleft Lip 164
External Ear Or Ears (Absent of Malformed) 162
Oppositional Defiant Disorder 158
Spina Bifida 152
Tethered Spinal Cord 151
Hypertension 140
Immune Deficiency 140
Autoimmune Disorder 140
Cerebral Palsy 138
Infertility 134
Rib Abnormality 131
Tracheoesophageal Fistula 131
Dislocated Hip 130
Syndactyly (Webbed Fingers Or Toes) 129
Micrognathia (Small Jaw) 129
Diabetes 128
Microcephaly 127
Chiari Malformation 127
Strabismus 123
Imperforate Anus 121
Breaks Law/Rules Of Society 119
Umbilical Hernia 117
Early Puberty 117
Cafe Au Lait Birth Mark 115
Psoriasis 112
Hypoactivity 112
Delayed Puberty 110
Diaphragmatic Hernia 109
Neurogenic Bladder 109
Early Tooth Eruption 108
Chronic Tinnitus (Ringing In Ears) 107
Reduction Deformity Upper Limb 105
Manic Depression 103
Swollen/Or Bleeding Gums 102
Changes In Skin Color 102
In Utero Growth Retardation 101
Endometriosis 99
Thrush/Chronic Candida 98
Borderline Personality Disorder 97
Internal Ear Or Ears (Absent or Malformed) 96
Dysmorphic Features 96
Perseveration 95
Absence Corpus Callosum 93
Chromosome Disorder 93
Deafness 92
Hiatal Hernia 89
Bony Defect Of Skull 89
Absent Kidney 88
Small Sex Organs 88
Hypoglycemia 86
Ear Tag(S) 85
PDD (Pervasive Development Disorder) 84
Goldenhar (Hemifacial Microsomia) 83
Anencephaly 82
Malformed Ureter 82
Vater (Vacterl) 81
Reduction Deformity Lower Limb 79
Malformed Kidney 79
Skin Fungus 79
Apraxia 79
Craniosynostosis 76
Asperger 75
Patent Ductus Arteriosus 75
Cardiac Arrhythmia 73
Pectus Excavatum 72
Spina Bifida Occulta 71
Chronic Virus 71
Hypospadias 69
Blind 68
Sensorineural Hearing Loss 68
Facial Bone Deformity 67
Hemangioma 66
Prune Belly 66
Rheumatoid Arthritis 66
Contractures Of Elbows/Knees/Joints 65
Growth Hormone Deficiency 65
Constitutional Short Stature 65
Ganglion Cyst 63
Nystagmus 62
Clubfoot With Bone Deformity 61
Inguinal Hernia 60
Malformed Sex Organs 60
Mitral Valve Prolapse 59
Aortic Valve Stenosis/Atresia 56
Neurogenic Bowel 55
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome 54
Amniotic Band 54
Poland’s 53
Pectoralis (Absent Or Underdeveloped) 52
Brain Cyst 52
Cataract 51
Port Wine Stain 51
Pituitary Defect 51
Tetralogy Of Fallot 50
Pulmonary Hypertension 50
Broncho-­‐pulmonary Dysplasia 49
Pulmonary Valve Stenosis/Atresia 49
Lipoma 49
Polydactyly (Extra Digits) 48
Facial Nerve Paralysis 48
Coarctation Of Aorta 47
Rectal And/Or Intestinal Atresia 47
Pierre Robin 47
Liver Function Disorder 46
Single Umbilical Artery 44
Pyloric Stenosis 43
Twisted Lower Limb 42
Pigeon Chest 42
Aphasia 42
Coloboma 41
Cortical Blindness 40
Encephalocele 40
Clubbed Hands 40
Transposition Great Arteries 40
Optic Nerve Atrophy 39
Thin Corpus Callosum 38
Polycystic Kidney 38
Macrocephaly 37
Bicuspid Aortic Valve 37
Hepatomegaly (Enlarged Liver) 37
Anorexia Or Bulimia 37
Down Syndrome 36
Schizophrenia 36
Bradycardia 34
Horseshoe Kidney 34
Holoprosencephaly 33
Spondylolisthesis 33
Ptosis 33
Mitral Valve Regurgitation 32
Dermoid Cysts 31
Bladder Exstrophy 31
Glaucoma 30
Diabetes Insipidus 29
Hirschsprung’s Disease 28
Crohn’s Disease 28
Spinal Muscular Atrophy 27
Micropthalmia 27
Exotropia 27
Splenomegaly (Enlarged Spleen) 27
Trisomy 27
Sacral Agenesis 26
Hypertelorism 26
Hydrocele 26
Ataxia 25
Syringomyelia 25
Omphalocele 25
Cystic Hygroma 25
Short Bowel 25
Thyroid 25
MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) 25
Intrauterine Stroke 24
Arthrogryposis 24
Absent Gallbladder 24
Ehlers-­‐Danlos 22
Clinodactyly 21
Septo-­‐Optic Dysplasia 21
Preauricular Pits 21
Pulmonary Atresia/Hypoplasia 21
Leukemia 21
Dandy Walker Malformation 20
Cerebellar Hypoplasia 20
Muscular Dystrophy 19
Cardiomyopathy 19
Double Outlet Right Ventricle 19
Overgrowth Of Lower Limb 18
Choanal Atresia 18
Ambiguous Genitalia 18
Schizencephaly 17
Neurofibromatosis 17
Potter 17
Pilonidal Cyst 17
Tricuspid Valve Stenosis/Atresia 16
Pulmonary Artery Anomaly 16
Dextrocardia 16
Bicornuate Uterus 16
Dysthymia 16
Primary Immune Defect 16
Delayed Myelination 15
Lipomyelomeningocele 15
Tourette Syndrome 15
Turner’s 15
Absence Of Septum Pellucidum 14
Hemihypertrophy 14
Sarcoma 14
Lissencephaly 13
Periventricular Leukomalacia 13
Overgrowth Of Upper Limb 13
Absent Bladder 13
Digeorge 13
Charge 13
Edwards 13
Overgrowth (Giant) 13
Hypogammaglobulinemia 13
Anophthalmia (Missing Eye) 12
Cardiomegaly 12
Mitral Valve Stenosis 12
Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome 12
Peripheral Pulmonary Stenosis 12
Epispadias 12
Teratomas 12
Twisted Upper Limb 11
Macrostomia 11
Vascular Ring 11
Cloacal Anomaly 11
Pseudotumor Cerebri 11
Caudal Regression 11
Spastic Paralysis 10
Static Encephalopathy 10
Klippel-­‐Feil 10
Osteogenesis Imperfecta 10
Wolff-­‐Parkinson-­‐White 10
CMV Virus 10
Neuroblastoma 10
Endocardial Cushion Defect 9
Ebstein 9
Biliary Atresia 9
Lymphangioma 9
Achondroplastic Dwarfism 9
Hydranencephaly 8
Chondromalacia Patella 8
Noonan 8
Williams 8
Hodgkins Disease 8
Macroglossia 7
Truncus Arteriosus 7
Duane Refraction 7
Lymphoma 7
Polysplenia 6
Cloacal Exstrophy 6
Beckwith-­‐Wiedemann 6
Cystic Fibrosis 6
Klippel-­‐Trenaunay-­‐Weber 6
Non-­‐Hodgkins Lymphoma 6
Addison’s 6
Hyperpigmentation Of Gums 5
Lamellar Ichthyosis 5
Cornelia De Lange 5
Treacher Collins 5
Moebius 5
Prader-­‐Willi 5
Klinefelter 5
Cushing 5
Lennox-­‐Gastaut 5
Stickler 5
Astrocytoma 5
Hemimegalencephaly 4
Leukodystrophy 4
Myoblastoma 4
Marfan 4
Crouzon 4
Albinism 4
Ectodermal Dysplasia 4
Porencephaly 3
Absent Spleen 3
Anorchia (Absence Of Testes) 3
Cavernous Hemangioma 3
Apert 3
Tar 3
Fragile X 3
Holt-­‐Oram 3
Sids 3
Colon Cancer 3
Tuberous Sclerosis 2
PDD/NOS 2
Exophthalmos 2
Angelman 2
Fetal Hydantoin 2
Cri Du Chat 2
Aicardi 2
Alagille 2
Horner 2
Kabuki 2
Larsen 2
Rett Syndrome 2
Sturge-­‐Weber 2
Nail-­‐Patella 1
Fetal Valproate 1
Fryns 1
Miller-­‐Dieker 1
Orofacialdigital 1
Smith-­‐Lemli-­‐Opitz 1
Walker-­‐Warburg 1
Wilms Tumor 1
Hepatoblastoma 1
Retinoblastoma 1

How was the registry developed?

A presentation was made to the National Institute of Environment Health Sciences that describes the development of the registry.

See the presentation

How is the registry data used?

National Birth Defect Registry data has been used to evaluate several national birth defect issues.

Find out More

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