Advances in the knowledge and application of genetics at the molecular level will continue to have a tremendous impact on health care. Genetically determined disorders account for a major portion of health care services. Over half of the children admitted to pediatric wards in major medical centers have a significant genetic component in the etiology of their illness. Although individually rare, specific genetic disorders in aggregate affect five percent of the population. An even greater impact is seen when taking into account the genetic component of many common health care problems, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Birth defects occur in approximately five percent of all live births.
In nearly three percent, the defect is serious enough to threaten life or to cause significant long-term disability. More than half of all birth defects are of genetic etiology.