Department of Defense
Birth Defects Counts and Prevalence 2018-2022 (Prevalence per 10,000 Live Births)
Defect
Maternal Race/Ethnicity
Total * Notes
White,
Non-Hispanic
Black,
Non-Hispanic
Hispanic,
Non-Hispanic
Asian or
Pacific Islander,
Non-Hispanic
American Indian
or Alaskan Native,
Non-Hispanic
Anencephaly 17 (0.5) <5 (†) 13 (1.7) <5 (†) 0 (0.0) 36 (0.7)
Anophthalmia / microphthalmia 47 (1.5) 10 (1.3) 15 (1.9) <5 (†) 0 (0.0) 75 (1.4)
Anotia / microtia 100 (3.2) 16 (2.1) 29 (3.7) 7 (2.5) <5 (†) 167 (3.2)
Aortic valve stenosis 119 (3.8) 9 (1.2) 25 (3.2) <5 (†) <5 (†) 162 (3.1)
Atrial septal defect 5726 (182.3) 1441 (191.9) 1326 (169.2) 464 (166.4) 120 (172.7) 9422 (180.1)
Atrioventricular septal defect (endocardial cushion defect) 213 (6.8) 42 (5.6) 46 (5.9) 22 (7.9) <5 (†) 337 (6.4)
Biliary atresia 87 (2.8) 37 (4.9) 31 (4.0) 16 (5.7) <5 (†) 178 (3.4)
Bladder exstrophy <5 (†) <5 (†) <5 (†) <5 (†) <5 (†) 10 (0.2)
Choanal atresia 89 (2.8) 16 (2.1) 17 (2.2) 5 (1.8) <5 (†) 135 (2.6)
Cleft lip alone (without cleft palate) 209 (6.7) 17 (2.3) 35 (4.5) 23 (8.2) 7 (10.1) 301 (5.8)
Cleft lip with cleft palate 214 (6.8) 21 (2.8) 49 (6.3) 26 (9.3) 6 (8.6) 327 (6.3)
Cleft palate alone (without cleft lip) 352 (11.2) 53 (7.1) 73 (9.3) 34 (12.2) 10 (14.4) 535 (10.2)
Cloacal exstrophy <5 (†) <5 (†) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) <5 (†)
Clubfoot 907 (28.9) 186 (24.8) 210 (26.8) 58 (20.8) 15 (21.6) 1432 (27.4)
Coarctation of aorta 288 (9.2) 69 (9.2) 61 (7.8) 19 (6.8) 10 (14.4) 463 (8.9)
Congenital cataract 103 (3.3) 28 (3.7) 27 (3.4) 5 (1.8) <5 (†) 177 (3.4)
Congenital posterior urethral valves 46 (2.8) 19 (5.0) 14 (3.5) <5 (†) 0 (0.0) 82 (3.1) 1
Craniosynostosis 1106 (35.2) 169 (22.5) 265 (33.8) 94 (33.7) 22 (31.7) 1706 (32.6)
Deletion 22q11.2 42 (1.3) 6 (0.8) 8 (1.0) <5 (†) 0 (0.0) 62 (1.2)
Diaphragmatic hernia 114 (3.6) 31 (4.1) 26 (3.3) 13 (4.7) 5 (7.2) 196 (3.7)
Double outlet right ventricle (DORV) 91 (2.9) 30 (4.0) 24 (3.1) 14 (5.0) <5 (†) 169 (3.2)
Ebstein anomaly 35 (1.1) 5 (0.7) 9 (1.1) <5 (†) <5 (†) 57 (1.1)
Encephalocele 34 (1.1) 13 (1.7) 9 (1.1) <5 (†) 0 (0.0) 63 (1.2)
Esophageal atresia / tracheoesophageal fistula 94 (3.0) 19 (2.5) 22 (2.8) 5 (1.8) <5 (†) 145 (2.8)
Gastroschisis 125 (4.0) 32 (4.3) 45 (5.7) 8 (2.9) 5 (7.2) 221 (4.2)
Holoprosencephaly 27 (0.9) 9 (1.2) 5 (0.6) <5 (†) 0 (0.0) 44 (0.8)
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome 131 (4.2) 26 (3.5) 31 (4.0) 9 (3.2) <5 (†) 211 (4.0)
Hypospadias 1997 (123.7) 416 (108.9) 337 (84.4) 128 (88.8) 28 (79.0) 3020 (112.7) 1
Interrupted aortic arch (IAA) 38 (1.2) <5 (†) 10 (1.3) <5 (†) <5 (†) 56 (1.1)
Limb deficiencies (reduction defects) 167 (5.3) 45 (6.0) 37 (4.7) 8 (2.9) 0 (0.0) 262 (5.0)
Omphalocele 58 (1.8) 18 (2.4) 14 (1.8) 7 (2.5) 0 (0.0) 100 (1.9)
Rectal and large intestinal atresia / stenosis 152 (4.8) 43 (5.7) 49 (6.3) 18 (6.5) 6 (8.6) 278 (5.3)
Renal agenesis / hypoplasia 264 (8.4) 68 (9.1) 59 (7.5) 19 (6.8) 8 (11.5) 437 (8.4)
Single ventricle 86 (2.7) 11 (1.5) 21 (2.7) 6 (2.2) <5 (†) 128 (2.4)
Small intestinal atresia / stenosis 135 (4.3) 40 (5.3) 35 (4.5) 14 (5.0) <5 (†) 229 (4.4)
Spina bifida without anencephaly 122 (3.9) 16 (2.1) 36 (4.6) <5 (†) <5 (†) 190 (3.6)
Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) 54 (1.7) 6 (0.8) 14 (1.8) 0 (0.0) <5 (†) 78 (1.5)
Trisomy 13 32 (1.0) 16 (2.1) 6 (0.8) 6 (2.2) 0 (0.0) 60 (1.1)
Trisomy 18 59 (1.9) 17 (2.3) 12 (1.5) 8 (2.9) 0 (0.0) 98 (1.9)
Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) 442 (14.1) 101 (13.4) 109 (13.9) 38 (13.6) 11 (15.8) 718 (13.7)
Turner syndrome 63 (4.1) 9 (2.4) 13 (3.4) 6 (4.5) 0 (0.0) 92 (3.6) 2
Ventricular septal defect 2579 (82.1) 530 (70.6) 613 (78.2) 190 (68.1) 65 (93.5) 4122 (78.8)
Total live births 314173 75103 78348 27882 6949 523081 3
Male Live Births 161440 38216 39922 14418 3545 268042
Female Live Births 152733 36887 38426 13464 3404 255039
Notes
1- Data for this condition include male and unknown infant sex cases only. Prevalence of posterior urethral valve is calculated per 10,000 male live births.
2- Data for this condition include female and unknown infant sex cases only. Prevalence is calculated per 10,000 female live births.
3- Data for total live births include unknown infant sex.

General comments
†- Counts <5 and associated prevalences are suppressed
*- Data for totals include unknown/other race
Department of Defense
Birth Defects Counts and Prevalence 2018-2022 (Prevalence per 10,000 Live Births)
Defect
Maternal Age
Total *
Less than 35 years 35 of more years
Gastroschisis 193 (4.5) 5 (0.7) 221 (4.2)
Trisomy 13 34 (0.8) 22 (3.1) 60 (1.1)
Trisomy 18 61 (1.4) 34 (4.8) 98 (1.9)
Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) 412 (9.5) 276 (38.8) 718 (13.7)
Total live births 431623 71097 523081
Notes
†- Counts <5 and associated prevalences are suppressed
*- Data for totals include unknown/other maternal age
Department of Defense
Notes on Specific Birth Defects
Defect Site Comment
Anencephaly The DoD Birth and Infant Health Research (BIHR) program only captures livebirths
Spina bifida without anencephaly The BIHR program only captures livebirths
Ventricular septal defect All ICD-10-CM coded cases that meet the BIHR program case criteria are included. The BIHR program relies on ICD-10-CM codes and cannot distinguish CDC/BPA codes 745.487 or 745.498
Atrial septal defect The BIHR program relies on ICD-10-CM codes and cannot differentiate PFO
Atrioventricular septal defect (endocardial cushion defect) The BIHR program relies on ICD-10-CM codes and cannot distinguish CDC/BPA code 745.487
Tricuspid valve atresia and stenosis The BIHR program relies on ICD-10-CM codes. Cases with tricuspid stenosis or hypoplasia are included
Omphalocele Criteria for an omphalocele case: One diagnosis from inpatient records during the first month of life
Trisomy 13 The BIHR program only captures livebirths
Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) The BIHR program only captures livebirths
Trisomy 18 The BIHR program only captures livebirths