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The study presents data on cardiovascular malformations in Bavarian livebirths, born between 1984 and 1991. Cases have been ascertained retrospectively by reviewing hospital records of all children being referred to a children's hospital up to 2 years of age. The classification scheme was based on abnormalities in developmental mechanisms. Among 984,570 livebirths, 7020 cases with structural congenital heart disease were identified. The birth prevalence was 7.1 per 1000 livebirths. Between 1984 and 1991, total prevalence increased from 5.9/10(3) to 8.0/10(3). Prevalence in males was 7.3/10(3) and in females 6.9/10(3). 78.1% of all heart defects were isolated, the remaining 21.9% were associated either with chromosomal abnormalities (9.6%), non-chromosomal syndromes (1.0%), or noncardiac malformations of other organ systems (11.3%). Total fatality rate was 12.0%, with two thirds of deaths occurring within a month of birth or the following month of life. Data were compared with those of the Baltimore-Washington Infant Study. This study presents for the first time regional data on birth prevalences of congenital heart defects in Germany. The classification scheme reduces the wide spectrum of phenotype cardiovascular defects to several pathogenetic groups. The defects in each group may be related to similar causal factors.