WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- People born with heart and circulatory conditions accounted for one-third of the 139,100 U.S. hospital admissions for birth defects reported during 2004.
The statistics from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality suggest digestive problems were the second-leading category of birth defects, accounting for nearly 29,000 admissions, or about 19 percent of all birth defect cases, followed by genitourinary birth defects (9 percent) and nervous system birth defects (5 percent).
The remaining 34 percent of birth defects included problems such as cleft palate, hip deformity, sunken chest, skull and facial bone defects, spinal deformity and foot deformities.
Medical statisticians said although most birth defects are found within the first year of life, others might not be discovered until adulthood. Some birth defects result in debilitating illness or death at a very young age, while others may be successfully treated.
The 2004 federal statistics were drawn from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a database of hospital inpatient stays that is nationally representative and includes all patients, regardless of insurance type, as well as the uninsured.
