Prevalence of Transposition of the Great Arteries by County, New Mexico, 2015-2019

Why Is This Important?

Birth defects pose a significant public health problem. One in 33 babies is born with a structural birth defect in the United States. Birth defects are a leading cause of infant mortality and responsible for considerable morbidity with enormous economic and social costs. Symptoms appear at birth or very soon afterwards. How bad the symptoms are depends on whether there is a way for the two separate blood circuits to mix, allowing some oxygen-rich blood to get out to the body. This mixing can occur through other defects, such as a hole between the bottom chambers of the heart (a ventricular septal defect), or through a shunt that normally is present at birth. Symptoms also can depend on whether other defects are present as well. Common symptoms of TGA include: blueness of the skin; shortness of breath; and poor feeding. Surgery might be needed shortly after birth. In most hospitals, a type of surgery called an arterial switch procedure can be used to permanently correct the problem within the first week of life. Without corrective surgery, severe cases of TGA can be fatal during the first 6 months of life.

Definition

Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) is a heart condition that is present at birth, and often is called a congenital heart defect. TGA occurs when the two main arteries going out of the heart--the pulmonary artery and the aorta--are switched in position, or "transposed." Prevalence of TGA is the number of live-born infants with TGA per 10,000 live born infants. (Live-born infants are the infants born with any evidence of life). New Mexico live-born infants with transposition of the great arteries (TGA), 2015-2019.

Data Notes

Data Sources

• Birth Defects Prevention and Surveillance System (BDPASS), New Mexico Department of Health.
• Birth Certificate Data, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS), Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health.
  (https://www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/bvrhs/vrp/)

How the Measure is Calculated

• Numerator:

  Number of live-born infants with transposition of the great arteries.

• Denominator:

  Number of live-born infants.

Data Issues

• Birth Defects Prevention and Surveillance System (BDPASS)

  Birth defects are reported on the birth certificates, which are provided for all births occurring in-state as well as births to NM resident mothers who gave birth out-of-state. Some birth defects (Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Tetralogy of Fallot, Transposition of Great Arteries, Hypospadias, Lower and Upper Limb Deficiencies, and Trisomy 21) were not reported on birth certificates until 2004.

• Birth Certificate Data

  Birth certificate information is submitted electronically by hospital medical records staff who use standard mother and facility worksheets and medical charts to collect the needed information. Training of hospital staff is provided by the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS). The birth certificate information is reviewed by BVRHS for completeness and consistency with state law and NMDOH and national guidelines. BVRHS will contact hospital staff for clarification of missing, inconsistent or incorrect entries. CDC's National Center for Health Statistics provides feedback to BVRHS on data quality and the NMDOH provides feedback to the hospitals to improve data quality and training.

Health Topic Pages Related to: Birth Defects - Prevalence of Transposition of the Great Arteries (Vessels) per 10,000 Live Births

• Birth Defects