1995 Birth Defects Reported
Every day in California, there are 1,500 babies born, and about twenty
five of these newborns are being found to have serious birth defects.
Of the newborns with the birth defects, six will have a structural heart defect, two will
have an oral cleft where the tissues of the mouth have not formed correctly, two will have
chromosome abnormality which includes Down syndrome, one will have a neural tube defect,
and 14 others will have another type of serious birth defect.
These are the findings reported in a newly released California Birth Defects Monitoring
Program (CBDMP) document which highlights the actual number of birth defects as observed
in California newborns during the year 1995.
The registry monitors for over 200 conditions, but many are quite rare. For this report,
only ten of more common and serious defects have been included.
The document provides data about the actual observed numbers of birth defects recorded in
11 counties – Fresno, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Merced, San Francisco, San
Joaquin, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, and Tulare.
Estimated rates of occurrence for each sentinel birth defect, as well as the mother’s
age and race have been included for the remaining 47 counties of the state.
The counties currently included in the monitoring program were selected as they produce
about half of the state’s births, reflects California’s racial diversity, and
covers a broad range of geographic and environmental conditions.
The size of the newborn population monitored for the report period of 1995 was 267,408
live births. This is almost 48% of the 560,000 live births which occurred statewide during
the year.
(Birth Defects Data for California Counties: 1995; CBDMP; Order via 209-224-2212)
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November / December 1998
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