About 3% of babies, or 1 of every 33, are born with a birth defect. Birth defects are problems that happen as a baby develops in the mother's body. A birth defect may affect how the body looks, works, or both. Some birth defects are so serious they can cause a baby to die; others are very minor problems that can be easily repaired. Babies born with birth defects have a greater chance of illness and long-term disability than babies without birth defects.

Not all birth defects can be prevented, but you can take some actions that increase your chance of having a healthy baby. Most birth defects are thought to be caused by a complex mix of genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. However, for many birth defects, exactly how these factors work together is unclear.

When a woman comes into contact with an environmental hazard early in her pregnancy, it may increase the risk of her baby being born with a birth defect. More research is needed to study the links between environmental hazards and birth defects, which is why birth defects are part of the Environmental Public Health Tracking Network.

• Read more about the different types of birth defects.
• Read more about preventing birth defects.
• Read more about causes and risk factors of birth defects.
• Learn about what CDC is doing to research and track birth defects.

Tracking Birth Defects

Learn how these data are collected and how they are being used on the Tracking Network.

Search Data

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Resources

Explore other resources for more information.

Indicators

Read about the indicators available for birth defects.