3,941,553 births in 1998: including tens of thousands with congenital anomalies and abnormal conditions.

Variations are occurring in the birth rates of different population and age groups in this country. In addition to these ongoing developments, there continues to be an increasing number of children born with congenital anomalies and birth injuries. A summary is provided of these developments (based on birth certificate reports) for the general population during the 1990s, and for newborns with congenital anomalies and birth defects during and past twenty-five years.