As we pause to reflect on the burden of disease caused by birth defects during World Birth Defects Day on March 3, 2018, we highlight the importance of developing surgical systems for children, to decrease the morbidity and mortality of birth defects. 1 GBD 2015 Child Mortality CollaboratorsGlobal, regional, national, and selected subnational levels of stillbirths, neonatal, infant, and under- mortality, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.Lancet.