High Prevalence of Major Congenital Anomalies in Alaska, 1996–2002 Background

Birth defects affect approximately 3 % of live births nationally and are considered the leading cause of infant death and childhood disability, resulting in more than $2.5 billion a year in hospital costs alone.1 In Alaska, birth defects contributed to 33 % of neonatal and 20 % of postneonatal deaths during 1992