Risk factors

Factors that increase the risk of bladder exstrophy include:

• Family history. Firstborn children, children of a parent with bladder exstrophy or siblings of a child with bladder exstrophy have an increased chance of being born with the condition.
• Race. Bladder exstrophy is more common in whites than in other races.
• Sex. More boys than girls are born with bladder exstrophy.
• Use of assisted reproduction. Children born through assisted reproductive technology, such as IVF, have a higher risk of bladder exstrophy.