Inpatient Hospitalization Costs Associated with Birth Defects Among Persons of All Ages - United States, 2013

Abstract

In the United States, major structural or genetic birth defects affect approximately 3% of live births (1) and are responsible for 20% of infant deaths (2). Birth defects can affect persons across their lifespan and are the cause of significant lifelong disabilities. CDC used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) 2013 National Inpatient Sample (NIS), a 20% stratified sample of discharges from nonfederal community hospitals, to estimate the annual cost of birth defect-associated hospitalizations in the United States, both for persons of all ages and by age group. Birth defect-associated hospitalizations had disproportionately high costs, accounting for 3.0% of all hospitalizations and 5.2% of total hospital costs. The estimated annual cost of birth defect-associated hospitalizations in the United States in 2013 was $22.9 billion. Estimates of the cost of birth defect-associated hospitalizations offer important information about the impact of birth defects among persons of all ages on the overall health care system and can be used to prioritize prevention, early detection, and care.

FIGURE

Weighted estimated median cost and interquartile range of birth defect–associated hospitalizations, by specific birth defect,*^,† — National Inpatient Sample, 2013 * International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes for each birth defect: anencephalus (740.0, 740.1); spina bifida without anencephalus (741.00, 741.01, 741.02, 741.03, 741.90, 741.91, 741.92, 741.93 without 740.0 or 740.1); congenital hydrocephalus without spina bifida (742.3 without 741.00-741.03, 741.90-741.93); encephalocele (742.0); microcephalus (742.1); holoprosencephaly (742.2); anophthalmia/microphthalmia (743.00, 743.10, 743.11, 743.12); congenital cataract (743.30, 743.31, 743.32, 743.33, 743.34); aniridia (743.45); anotia/microtia (744.01, 744.23); common truncus (745.0); transposition of great arteries (745.10, 745.12, 745.19); tetralogy of Fallot (745.2); ventricular septal defect (745.4); atrial septal defect (745.5, except when it was the only defect coded in a preterm infant or an infant <28 days old); endocardial cushion defect (745.60, 745.61, 745.69); pulmonary valve atresia and stenosis (746.01, 746.02); tricuspid valve atresia and stenosis (746.1); Ebstein anomaly (746.2); aortic valve stenosis (746.3); hypoplastic left heart syndrome (746.7); patent ductus arteriosus (747.0, except when it was the only defect coded in a preterm infant or an infant <28 days old); coarctation of aorta (747.10); double outlet right ventricle (745.11); interrupted aortic arch (747.11); single ventricle (745.3); total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (747.41); cleft palate without cleft lip (749.00, 749.01, 749.02, 749.03, 749.04); cleft lip with cleft palate (749.20, 749.21, 749.22, 749.23, 749.24, 749.25); cleft lip alone (749.10, 749.11, 749.12, 749.13, 749.14); choanal atresia (748.0); esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula (750.3); rectal and large intestinal atresia/stenosis (751.2); pyloric stenosis (750.5 among all ages; 537.0 among infants aged <1 year); Hirschsprung disease (751.3); biliary atresia (751.61); small intestinal atresia/stenosis (751.1); renal agenesis/hypoplasia (753.0); bladder exstrophy (753.5); hypospadias (752.61); epispadias (752.62); congenital posterior urethral valves (753.6); reduction deformity (755.20-755.39); gastroschisis (756.73); omphalocele (756.72); congenital hip dislocation (754.30, 754.31, 754.35); diaphragmatic hernia (756.6); clubfoot (754.51, 754.70); trisomy 13 (758.1); trisomy 21 (758.0); trisomy 18 (758.2); 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (758.32); Turner syndrome (758.6). ^† Preterm birth was defined as <37 weeks gestational age (ICD-9-CM codes 765.00–.09, 765.10–.19, 765.21–.28, or Diagnosis Related Group codes 791–792.