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Health Brief: Birth defects a global problem

Every year, an estimated 8 million children—about 6 percent of total births worldwide—are born with a serious birth defect of genetic or partially genetic origin, according to a new report from the March of Dimes. Additionally, hundreds of thousands more are born with serious birth defects of “post-conception origin,” due to the mother-to-be’s exposure to environmental agents such as alcohol, rubella, and syphilis.

The report—Global Report on Birth Defects: The Hidden Toll of Dying and Disabled Children—reveals that each year at least 3.3 million children younger than five years of age die because of serious birth defects. An estimated 3.2 million of those who survive may be mentally and physically disabled for life.

“Our report identifies for the first time the severe and previously hidden global toll of birth defects,” notes Jennifer L. Howse, MD, president of the March of Dimes, a Kiwanis International Priority One partner. “This is a serious, vastly unappreciated and under-funded public health problem.”

For more on the report—including a step-by-step approach to resolving the crisis—check out the March of Dimes Web site.