Global, regional, and national epidemiology of congenital birth defects in children from 1990 to 2021: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background This aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life year trends of congenital birth defects in children, including the causes of related burdens. Methods This cross-sectional study used the 2021 Global Burden of Disease data from 204...
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BMC
2025-04-01
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| Series: | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-025-07612-1 |
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| author | Yinyan Li Chuan He Haijie Yu Di Wu Li Liu Xueyao Zhang |
| author_facet | Yinyan Li Chuan He Haijie Yu Di Wu Li Liu Xueyao Zhang |
| author_sort | Yinyan Li |
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| description | Abstract Background This aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life year trends of congenital birth defects in children, including the causes of related burdens. Methods This cross-sectional study used the 2021 Global Burden of Disease data from 204 countries and regions and included children aged 0–14 (from 1990 to 2021) years with congenital birth defects. The prevalence, all-cause and specific-cause mortality, disability-adjusted life years, and corresponding estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) of congenital birth defect burden rates in children were measured. The identified trends were stratified by region, country, sex, and socio-demographic index. Results In 2021, approximately 31.64 million children aged 0–14 worldwide were affected by congenital birth defects, marking a 6.68% increase since 1990. While the global prevalence slightly decreased (from 1,705 cases per 100,000 in 1990 to 1,573 cases per 100,000 in 2021), the number of deaths declined significantly, from 902,741 to 475,816. Mortality rates decreased from 51.91 to 23.65 per 100,000. Low socio-demographic regions had the highest mortality rate (43.33 per 100,000). Oceania (EAPC, 0.27) and Central Asia (EAPC, 0.24) had a considerable increase in prevalence rates. In 2021, Brunei Darussalam had the highest prevalence rate (2444.81 per 100,000), while Cook Islands had the lowest (1071.20 per 100,000). Conclusions Congenital birth defects in children remain a global challenge, with the overall rates decreasing but increasing in some regions, particularly in those with low socio-demographic indices. A better understanding of the epidemiology of congenital birth defects in children may contribute to the optimization of health policies worldwide. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
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| series | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
| spelling | doaj-art-ef56bd4d0d4447b1968cec2539f346632025-08-20T02:20:02ZengBMCBMC Pregnancy and Childbirth1471-23932025-04-0125111110.1186/s12884-025-07612-1Global, regional, and national epidemiology of congenital birth defects in children from 1990 to 2021: a cross-sectional studyYinyan Li0Chuan He1Haijie Yu2Di Wu3Li Liu4Xueyao Zhang5Department of Ultrasonic Diagnosis, First Hospital of China Medical UniversityDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, First Hospital of China Medical UniversityDepartment of Cardiology, First Hospital of China Medical UniversityDepartment of Cardiology, First Hospital of China Medical UniversityDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityDepartment of Cardiology, First Hospital of China Medical UniversityAbstract Background This aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life year trends of congenital birth defects in children, including the causes of related burdens. Methods This cross-sectional study used the 2021 Global Burden of Disease data from 204 countries and regions and included children aged 0–14 (from 1990 to 2021) years with congenital birth defects. The prevalence, all-cause and specific-cause mortality, disability-adjusted life years, and corresponding estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) of congenital birth defect burden rates in children were measured. The identified trends were stratified by region, country, sex, and socio-demographic index. Results In 2021, approximately 31.64 million children aged 0–14 worldwide were affected by congenital birth defects, marking a 6.68% increase since 1990. While the global prevalence slightly decreased (from 1,705 cases per 100,000 in 1990 to 1,573 cases per 100,000 in 2021), the number of deaths declined significantly, from 902,741 to 475,816. Mortality rates decreased from 51.91 to 23.65 per 100,000. Low socio-demographic regions had the highest mortality rate (43.33 per 100,000). Oceania (EAPC, 0.27) and Central Asia (EAPC, 0.24) had a considerable increase in prevalence rates. In 2021, Brunei Darussalam had the highest prevalence rate (2444.81 per 100,000), while Cook Islands had the lowest (1071.20 per 100,000). Conclusions Congenital birth defects in children remain a global challenge, with the overall rates decreasing but increasing in some regions, particularly in those with low socio-demographic indices. A better understanding of the epidemiology of congenital birth defects in children may contribute to the optimization of health policies worldwide.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-025-07612-1Congenital birth defectsDisability-adjusted life yearSocio-demographic indexDisease burden |
| spellingShingle | Yinyan Li Chuan He Haijie Yu Di Wu Li Liu Xueyao Zhang Global, regional, and national epidemiology of congenital birth defects in children from 1990 to 2021: a cross-sectional study BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Congenital birth defects Disability-adjusted life year Socio-demographic index Disease burden |
| title | Global, regional, and national epidemiology of congenital birth defects in children from 1990 to 2021: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Global, regional, and national epidemiology of congenital birth defects in children from 1990 to 2021: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Global, regional, and national epidemiology of congenital birth defects in children from 1990 to 2021: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Global, regional, and national epidemiology of congenital birth defects in children from 1990 to 2021: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Global, regional, and national epidemiology of congenital birth defects in children from 1990 to 2021: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | global regional and national epidemiology of congenital birth defects in children from 1990 to 2021 a cross sectional study |
| topic | Congenital birth defects Disability-adjusted life year Socio-demographic index Disease burden |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-025-07612-1 |
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