Birth Defects

Many people think of birth defects as things that happen to other people. They

don't. Birth defects can, and do happen to anyone regardless of age, sex, race, economic

status, or education. Birth defects occur in one out of 28 births. There are about 4000

different birth defects. They are the leading cause of infant death and a major couse of

disability in young people, affecting more than 150, 000 babies each year. There is some

good news though, the rate of infant deaths due to birth defects has been cut in half since

1960. However, despite ongoing research, the causes of about 60 percent of birth defects

are unknown. In the early 1990's, it was discovered that, by taking the B vitamin folic

acid daily women can reduce the risk of having a child with birth defects of the brain and

spinal cord.

Every child born is at risk of birth defects. 1 in 115 births will have heart or

circulation problems. 1 in 130 births will have muscle or skeleton problems. 1 in 135

births will have Renal agenesis, the absence of one or both kidneys. If one kidney is

missing the prognosis is good unless there are other complications. If both kidneys are

absent, death occurs shortly after birth. 1 in 135 births will also experence Uninary

Obstruction, this includes a variety of malformations that obstruct the passage of urine. 1

in every 235 births will have problems with the nervous system, like Cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy is any of various non-progressice disorders characterized by inpairment of

voluntary movement, resulting from maldevelpment of the brain of damage to it

prenatally, during birth, or at any time up to the age of about 16 years. This be

accompanied by other abnormalities of the brain functions, such as mental retardation.

Problems with the nervous system may also be Spina bifida. Spina bifida is a

malformation of vertebrae, involving malformation and protrusion of the spinal cord and

spinal nerve roots. The degree of consequent disability depends largely on the extent and

exact location of the spinal cord malformations. 1 in 600 births will have Chromosomal

Syndromes. The most common is Down syndrome. This ia a variable combination of

birth defects including mental retardation and characteristic facial features. About 40

percent of babies with this condition also have congentital heart defects, and many have

some visual and hearing impairment and various other health problems.

What causes birth defects? There are many different things. Some birth defects

can be inherited, just as we inherit other characteristics such as eye color. The hereditary

information is passed from parent to child in genes. Children inherit genes from each

parent. If one parent has the gene for a dominant disorder, the child has a 50 percent

chance of inheriting this gene and developing the disorder. This is know as dominant

inheritance. Sometime defects are due to problems of the chromosomes. Chromosomes

may have undergone changes while they were still in the egg or sperm, or may be

changed by an environmental factor, such as heavy exposure to radiation. Once these

changes occur, they can be passed on to future generations. Birth defects can also be

caused by infections. Rubella (german measles) is probably the best know infectious

disease which can cause birth defects. The virus can cause deafness, heart defects,

blindness, and mental retardation. More common infectons are cytomegalovirus and

toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that can be contracted through handling or eating

undercooked meat or contact with cat feces. Both of these infections may cause mental

retardation and other problems. Sexually transmitted diseases also endanger the unborn

and newborn. As a result of untreated syphilis, a child may be born with born

malformations and infection of many body organs. Gonorrhea can cause eye infection