When women become pregnant , they enter a time of joy and anxiety. The concern is the health of the baby, and there are over 4,000 types of birth defects. Some of the most common birth defects are congenital heart defects, cleft palate, cystic fibrosis, and Down syndrome. In America alone, one in 33 babies has some type of birth defect. Birth defects seen in babies can be divided into 3 categories;
Multifactorial congenital defects (Congenital defects due to many factors),
Chromosomal Congenital Defects,
Single gene defects.
The vast majority of birth defects are confined to the first trimester of pregnancy. Some cause disabilities in babies, while others result in death. Almost one-third of all birth defects are heart defects. This makes congenital heart defects the most common type of all baby defects. Heart anomalies are so common that they occur in one in every 100 babies born. The reason heart anomalies are so common is that the heart has a very complex structure. There are many things that can go wrong during the development of the heart.
Heart anomalies in newborns can be seen in many forms, from mild to severe. In atrial and ventricular septal defects, the baby is born with a hole in the heart. This hole prevents the blood pumped in the heart from being fully oxygenated. Other heart anomalies include aortic stenosis and the left half of the heart not being fully developed. Heart anomalies can develop in the first trimester of pregnancy due to a variety of factors, such as alcohol use, infection, and the use of certain medications .
Another common congenital anomaly is cleft lip and palate, which is seen in 1 in 700 births. This birth defect is an anomaly in which the upper palate and cleft become cleft due to the anomaly of fusion. This condition can occur in varying degrees. The exact cause of cleft lip and palate anomaly is unknown. However, it is thought that the combination of genetic and environmental factors is effective.
Defects in the baby can also be caused by genetic reasons. Most people are carriers for a disease called cystic fibrosis. 25% of mothers and fathers who have this cystic fibrosis gene may develop cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a disease that causes breathing and digestive difficulties and is seen mostly in Caucasians.
Down syndrome is a chromosomal anomaly that occurs in approximately one in every 800 births. Babies with Down syndrome have facial disproportion, varying degrees of intellectual disability, and other health problems. The risk of developing Down syndrome increases with age.
Spina bifida is another common birth defect. It is an anomaly that can be seen in one in 2,500 births in the United States and is evaluated in the neural tube defect disease group, which causes paralysis and bladder diseases due to anomalies in the baby's spine.
Other birth defects can affect the gastrointestinal tract, eyes, and muscles.
Comments