Birth defects are an enormous—but often overlooked—public
health problem. Each year, another 120,000
children are born in the US with significant birth defects,
requiring billions of dollars for
medical treatment and other services.
Research to find causes and prevent birth defects is a wise
investment—yet it is significantly underfunded. The federal
budget for birth defects research is less than 1% of the amount
devoted to less common problems such as pediatric AIDS or
childhood cancer.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Research to prevent birth defects saves lives and money.
As a nation, we can no longer afford to shortchange this effort—or
we postpone the day when all children can be born healthy.
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