How often does it happen?

Studies done recently at the Center for Disease Control in the United States and research in other western countries suggest between 1 in 125 and 1 in 300 male babies have hypospadias, so it is quite common. In fact, this places hypospadias alongside cleft lip and palate as the leading birth defect in boys.

Hypospadias occurs most often in white males, less frequently in black males and even less often in Hispanic males. It seems to be getting more common, though: for example, a 1993 study in the United States suggested that hypospadias was twice as common as it was in 1968.

If a male family member has hypospadias, there is an increased risk that his male children will be born with hypospadias.