Health Indicator Report of Birth Defects: Hypospadias
Hypospadias is one of the most common birth defects being tracked by the Utah Birth Defect Network (UBDN). Hypospadias is a congenital malformation of the penis, in which the urethral opening or meatus is displaced on the underside of the penis. Severity is classified based on the location of the meatus, and ranges from a) coronal or distal hypospadias, in which the meatus is only slightly displaced; b) shaft hypospadias; to c) perineal hypospadias, in which the meatus opens below the scrotum near the anus. Hypospadias can be associated with chordee (the downward or ventral curvature of the penis, particularly in severe hypospadias), and sometimes with cryptorchidism (the failure of the testicles to descend into the scrotum).
Prevalence of Hypospadias Among Males by Maternal Race/Ethnicity, Utah, 1999-2011
NotesNumerator and denominator values have been suppressed for cell values of 5 or less.
Data SourceUtah Birth Defect Network
DefinitionNumber of cases of hypospadias per 1,000 male births.
NumeratorNumber of cases of hypospadias among male liveborn and stillborn infants born to women residing in Utah.
DenominatorNumber of male liveborn and stillborn infants among women residing in Utah.
How Are We Doing?Between 1999 and 2011, 2,096 boys were born in Utah with hypospadias, for an overall prevalence of 6.1 per 1,000 male births, or 1 in every 163 males. The prevalence of hypospadias was highest among non-Hispanic Whites and lowest among Hispanics. The prevalence of hypospadias has been slowly increasing for several years, from 5 to nearly 7 per 1,000 male births between 1999 to 2010. This increase in prevalence was only observed for the shaft type hypospadias. The prevalence was lower in 2011, though it is unclear whether the apparent decrease is real or due to missed cases and decreased reporting.
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?Overall, hypospadias prevalence in Utah (6.1 per 1,000 male births) was similar and possibly slightly higher than the prevalence of 5 per 1,000 quoted nationally by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/hypospadias.html).
What Is Being Done?The UBDN continues to actively collect data on cases of hypospadias, monitoring Utah's prevalence and trends across different population groups. The UBDN has partnered with the Utah Environmental Public Health Tracking Network, a program of the National Public Health Tracking Network, to further explore potential environmental risk factors. Nationally and internationally, studies are also looking at the potential role of hormones and hormone-like environmental contaminants.
Available ServicesChildren with Special Health Care Needs 44 North Medical Drive PO Box 144610 Salt Lake City,UT 84114-4610 Phone (801) 584-8284 Toll Free (800) 829-8200 http://health.utah.gov/cshcn CSHCN provides services for children who have or are at risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition. Primary Children's Medical Center Pediatric Urology Clinic 100 North Mario Capecchi Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84113 Phone (801) 662-5555
Page Content Updated On 10/28/2014, Published on 12/01/2014