A team of researchers led by USF College of Public Health (COPH) doctoral student Justin Swanson has found that although people under age 65 born with birth defects make up just 4.1% of inpatient hospitalizations, their medical treatment accounts for nearly 8% of total hospitalization costs.

The study, “Inpatient Hospitalization Costs Associated with Birth Defects Among Persons Aged <65 Years — United States, 2019,” was published in July in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Swanson, a PhD student concentrating in epidemiology, was lead author. His co-authors were COPH professors Drs. Russell Kirby, Jason Salemi and Jean Paul Tanner, as well as researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of Utah.

According to the study, approximately 3% of infants are born each year in the U.S. with birth defects (ones affecting the heart are most common). What’s more, birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the cost of medical treatment related to birth defects can be astronomical over the span of a lifetime.

“By our conservative estimate, the cost of inpatient hospitalizations associated with birth defects was $22 billion in 2019,” Swanson reported. “This is an objectively large chunk of the nation’s total inpatient hospitalization costs, and it falls disproportionately on individuals with birth defects.”

While the researchers didn’t look at why that is, they theorize that the increased cost burden may be attributed to the number and types of services required to diagnose and treat birth defects. They also note that keeping track of such statistics is important, as knowing where costs are high helps health care professionals and policymakers better allocate financial resources in the future.

“Birth defects research (especially those involving the cost component) requires continual assessment and refinement of techniques. Our hope was to inform and assist policymakers, researchers and providers with the strategic use of health care resources,” Swanson said. “Our work finds and reinforces the fact that individuals with birth defects are disproportionately burdened by inpatient hospitalization costs, which is just one aspect of morbidity associated with these disorders.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health