Alaska reports rise in newborn heart valve defect

Alaska recorded a statistically significant increase in pulmonary valve atresia and stenosis among newborns from 2018 through 2022, the Alaska Department of Health reported May 5, 2026. The rate rose to 13.1 cases per 10,000 live births. That exceeds the national estimate of 10.3 per 10,000 births for 2016–2020, the most recent period for which national data are available.

The Alaska Birth Defects Registry documented 87 cases of the heart valve defect over the five-year span. The condition ranks among the most frequently reported of the 25 birth defects presented in the bulletin. The registry monitors a subset of the 47 nationally defined core and recommended birth defects for which it has validated confirmation rates. The registry uses a modified passive surveillance system that collects data from hospitals, specialty clinics, health insurers, diagnostic laboratories, and medical record aggregators. The registry accepts reports for birth defects diagnosed in children up to 3 years of age.

Alaska also experienced a statistically significant decrease in omphalocele, an abdominal wall defect, during the same period. The prevalence dropped to 2.9 per 10,000 births, compared to the national estimate of 2.5 per 10,000.

Alaska and U.S. estimates are derived using different statistical methods and case ascertainment approaches. The bulletin notes that the data should be interpreted as descriptive and used to inform further evaluation and research.