The Nation : Birth Defects Increasing

A long-term federal study of 13 million U.S. births from 1970-71 to 1982-83 shows increases in the rate of 11 different types of birth defects, a spokesman for the national Centers for Disease Control said. Among the types of birth defects being seen more frequently by physicians are two serious heart malformations--ventricular septal defects, up 10.8% for the period, and patent ductus arteriosus, up 17.5%, said Lee M. James, a statistician with the Atlanta-based CDC who participated in the 14-year study.