Rare Birth Defects Still Spiking In Washington State
April 22, 2014 by staff
Rare Birth Defects Still Spiking In Washington State, Olivia Jackman of Ellensburg, Wash., was born with spina bifida last fall and is considered part of a cluster of neural tube defects in the area that includes the fatal defect, anencephaly.
Seven cases of a rare fatal birth defect were reported in a remote region of Washington state in 2013, making it the fourth consecutive year that rates have more than tripled the national average, health officials said Tuesday.
There’s still no clear reason for the spike in anencephaly, a severe defect in which babies are born missing parts of the brain or skull, according to a statement from Washington state health officials. NBC News investigated the issue in February.
The rate jumped to 8.7 cases per 10,000 births in the area that includes Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties in eastern Washington state, far exceeding the national anencephaly rate of 2.1 cases per 10,000 births.
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