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JAMA. 2007;297:802-803.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

MMWR. 2007;56:25-29

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Birth defects (BDs) are conditions that (1) result from a malformation, deformation, or disruption in one or more parts of the body; (2) are present at birth; and (3) have a serious, adverse effect on health, development, or functional ability. BDs are leading causes of pediatric hospitalizations,¹ medical expenditures,² and infant mortality.³ To estimate national hospital charges and rates of in-hospital deaths for a greater number of specific BDs than estimated in previous reports, investigators at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and CDC used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project 2003 Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), developed and distributed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.⁴ KID is a 10% sample of hospital discharges after uncomplicated births and an 80% sample of all other pediatric discharges from 36 participating states. Data are weighted to represent all pediatric hospitalizations in the United States. The . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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