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Fatal birth defects are a serious risk to Cincy's babies of all races and backgrounds, study finds

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CINCINNATI -- One group is warning against something that it says kills babies across all neighborhoods and socioeconomic backgrounds in Cincinnati: birth defects.

Cradle Cincinnati released a study Monday that outlined the impact of birth defects in Hamilton County.

Between 2012 and 2016, birth defects were the second-leading cause of infant death in Hamilton County, Cradle Cincinnati's study reported. (Preterm birth accounts for 60 percent of infant deaths and is the leading cause of infant deaths.)

Most fatal birth defects in Hamilton County and the United States are heart and circulatory related, the study said. Brain and nervous system, musculoskeletal, respiratory, urinary, digestive, chromosomal abnormalities and other congenital malformations also accounted for part of the 88 infant deaths related to birth defects in Hamilton County between 2012 and 2016.

"Each of these lives lost is part of our infant mortality crisis, yet birth defect deaths are not a primary driver of our higher-than-normal infant death rates," the report said.

Cradle Cincinnati's mission is to help Hamilton County's infants live to see their first birthdays. Our region's higher-than-average infant death rate. The Avondale-based nonprofit started a major push to promote safe sleeping for babies, as sleep-related deaths are the third leading cause of infant death in our region.

Cradle Cincinnati also advocates for mental wellness for mothers, limiting/terminating tobacco use while pregnant and spacing between pregnancies.

RELATED: Here's how this Cincinnati nonprofit is working to help babies live to see their first birthday

COLUMN: Cradle Cincinnati knows that for babies to thrive, their moms' mental health matters

The organization knows that race and socio-economic status play a huge role in a baby's likelihood to survive infancy. But when it comes to birth defects, "there is no racial disparity," the report said.

"Babies born with birth defects are born into all types of families," the report said. "The are from all over our city and represent every socio-economic background."

However, babies with birth defects are more likely to be born to women over the age of 35 or women who smoke while pregnant.

There are some ways to reduce the risk of birth defects, Cradle Cincinnati outlined in the report: Control diabetes, take prenatal vitamins with folic acid, maintain a healthy weight and get a rubella vaccination.

However, "how to prevent birth defects is still mostly unknown," the report concluded.

See the full report here.