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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Pediatr. 2022 Jun 27;249:59–66.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.06.023

Table I.

Descriptive characteristics of spina bifida cases by fortification period

Total cases (N = 2593)
Prefortification, 1992-1996 (N = 573)
Postfortification, 1999-2016 (N = 2020)
Characteristics Upper Lower Total* % of total cases Upper Lower Total* % of total cases Upper Lower Total* % of total cases
Participating program (years with case data)
 AZ (1992-1996; 1999-2016) 70 492 614 23.7 34 105 144 25.1 36 387 470 23.3
 CA (1992-1996; 1999-2016) 49 383 455 17.6 19 71 100 17.5 30 312 355 17.6
 MACDP (1992-1996; 1999-2016) 40 283 351 13.5 20 57 83 14.5 20 226 268 13.3
 OK (1994-1996; 1999-2013) 44 223 304 11.7 19 52 75 13.1 25 171 229 11.3
 SC (1992-1996; 1999-2016) 84 403 507 19.6 37 83 125 21.8 47 320 382 18.9
 UT (1994-1996; 1999-2016) 31 325 362 14.0 12 32 46 8.0 19 293 316 15.6
 Total 318 2109 2593 141 400 573 177 1709 2020
Race/ethnicity
 White, non-Hispanic 162 1090 1328 51.2 87 230 332 57.9 75 860 996 49.3
 Black, non-Hispanic 38 240 300 11.6 11 37 52 9.1 27 203 248 12.3
 Hispanic 79 570 691 26.6 25 82 112 19.5 54 488 579 28.7
 Asian/Pacific Islander 6 30 38 1.5 1 4 6 1.0 5 26 32 1.6
 American Indian/Alaskan native 12 77 101 3.9 4 18 22 3.8 8 59 79 3.9
 Total* 318 2109 2593 141 400 573 177 1709 2020
Maternal age
 <20 y 61 206 281 10.8 19 59 80 14.0 42 147 201 10.0
 20-34 y 208 1541 1860 71.7 101 274 391 68.2 107 1267 1469 72.7
 35+ y 32 294 355 13.7 9 41 56 9.8 23 253 299 14.8
 Total* 318 2109 2593 141 400 573 177 1709 2020
Pregnancy outcome
 Live births 249 1718 2080 80.2 104 305 429 74.9 145 1413 1651 81.7
 Stillbirths 17 110 156 6.0 6 25 36 6.3 11 85 120 5.9
 Terminations/other nonlive births 52 279 355 13.7 31 70 108 18.8 21 209 247 12.2
 Total* 318 2109 2593 141 400 573 177 1709 2020
Infant sex
 Male 161 1083 1326 51.1 71 195 282 49.2 90 888 1044 51.7
 Female 147 959 1182 45.6 65 195 275 48.0 82 764 907 44.9
 Total* 318 2109 2593 141 400 573 177 1709 2020
Open/closed lesion
 Open 263 1892 2271 87.6 124 358 505 88.1 139 1534 1766 87.4
 Closed 44 164 220 8.6 14 31 50 8.7 30 133 170 8.4
 Total* 318 2109 2593 141 400 573 177 1709 2020
Infant death
 Living, no known death 185 1492 1756 84.4 81 276 369 86.0 104 1216 1387 84.0
 Known death 61 166 258 12.4 22 28 58 13.5 39 138 200 12.1
 Total* 249 1718 2080 104 305 429 145 1413 1651
Age at infant death§
 Early neonatal (<7 d) 33 78 133 51.6 11 12 29 50.0 22 66 104 52.0
 Late neonatal (7-27 d) 4 20 29 11.2 0 6 7 12.1 4 14 22 11.0
 Postneonatal (28-364 d) 16 36 55 21.3 6 3 10 17.2 10 33 45 22.5
 Total* 61 166 258 22 28 58 39 138 200
Birth weight by gestational age
 Small for gestational age 44 291 374 16.7 13 62 81 16.5 31 229 293 16.7
 Appropriate for gestational age 154 1143 1357 60.5 65 198 272 55.5 89 945 1085 61.9
 Large for gestational age 26 159 196 8.7 11 29 41 8.4 15 130 155 8.8
 Total* 278 1826 2242 121 343 490 157 1483 1752

NH, non-Hispanic; AZ, Arizona; CA, California; MACDP, Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program; OK, Oklahoma; SC, South Carolina; UT, Utah.

*

Total includes unknown/missing.

Stillbirths include pregnancy losses at ≥20 wks of gestation. Terminations and other nonlive births include pregnancy losses before 20 wks of gestation.

Vital status of cases with live births (see “Overall pregnancy outcome” in this table).

§

Age at death for liveborn cases with known infant deaths (see “Overall infant death, known death” in this table).

Birth weight not included n = 351; missing or invalid combination, n = 315; Fenton measurements done using the Kramer method (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11483845).