× The federal government has shut down due to the failures of the President and Congress to continue government funding. Millions of Californians receiving benefits from state programs may be impacted. For now, California’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will continue to provide services and enroll eligible families as long as funding is available. No new federal funding to California WIC will be provided until the President and Congress take action. Families should continue to use their WIC benefits and attend their WIC appointments. This information is subject to change, so please monitor the California WIC website for updates.

Please be wary of potential highly partisan political messaging while visiting federal government websites for information related to the federal government shutdown.

California BIRTH Defects Monitoring

What are Anotia and Microtia?

Anotia and microtia are birth defects of a baby's ear. Anotia happens when the external ear (the part of the ear that can be seen) is missing completely. Microtia happens when the external ear is small and not formed properly.

Anotia/microtia usually happens during the first few weeks of pregnancy. These defects can vary from being barely noticeable to being a major problem with how the ear formed. Most of the time, anotia/microtia affects how the baby's ear looks, but usually the parts of the ear inside the head (the inner ear) are not affected. However, some babies with this defect also will have a narrow or missing ear canal.

Content provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For information and references about anotia and microtia. Please visit: Facts about Anotia/Microtia.

Mother's Age	Prevalence Rate (per 10,000 births)
<20	4.3
20-24	2.4
25-29	2.6
30-34	5.8
35-39	6.9
40+	7.2
All Births	4.0

Mother's Race/Ethnicity*	Prevalence Rate
White	1.8
Black	2.0
Hispanic	5.1
Asian/Pacific Islander	5.0

*White, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander categories are all non-Hispanic

Data Source: California Birth Defects Monitoring Program Registry, 2012-2016 (PDF)

California Central Valley Counties (Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare).

Back to Data Sheets

Page Last Updated :