What is the most common congenital condition in the United States?

• A. Hearing loss
• B. Cleft lip
• C. Down syndrome
• D. Congenital heart disease

Answer: (A)

Understanding which congenital condition occurs most often relies on how common a defect is at birth. In the United States, congenital heart disease is the most frequent birth defect, affecting about 1 in every 100 live births. That prevalence is higher than the rates for congenital hearing loss, cleft lip with or without palate, or Down syndrome, which occur less often in newborns. Hearing loss is important and routinely screened for at birth, but its occurrence—roughly a few per 1000 births—remains lower than that of congenital heart disease. So the condition that is most common among these options is congenital heart disease.