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
The Term Paper on Birth Defects
... thankful whatever the condition. ( Darling 54) Most people have had experiences with birth defects. Even people who think they have never encountered someone ... This causes mental retardation, loss of muscle control and death. Children who inherit an abnormal gene from both parents ... are lungs, bones, spleen, kidneys, heart and brain. It is inherited and acquired only at birth. At the present time, ...
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
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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
and blindness if the baby is not treated promptly after delivery. Genital herpes simplex
virus can cause severe brain damage and sometimes death to a baby if the mother has a
flare-up of the infection at the time delivery. Women who have AIDS have about 30 to
40 percent chance of infecting there babies. Most babies who develop AIDS die within
their first few years of life.
During periods of rapid development of the fetus, a balanced diet with plenty of
nutrients specific for pregnancy and adequate calorie intake are most inportant. Poor
nutrition has been associated with inhibited fetal growth. Various chemical wastes and
pesticides are known to cause birth defects. Studies of exposures to things like lead and
other pollutants are shedding more light on additional enviromental threats to pregnancy.
Such effects usually result from much higher doses than commonly occur in the
enviroment. A few pollutants, including lead and mercury have been shown to cause
birth defects in humans. Few birth defects can be attributed to a single cause. The
majority are thought to result from interplay between environmental factors and heredity.
The outcome depends on inherited susceptibility stage of pregnancy and degree of
environmental hazard.
Children of mothers who drink alcohal during pergnancy may be born with a
recognizable pattern of mental and physical defects known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
(FAS) or Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE).
Alcohol in any form such as beer, wine, wine coolers,
or hard liquor quickly reaches an unborn baby. The safest choice is to stop drinking
completely before conception and during pregnancy, as it is not known how much alcohol
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will harm developing babys. FAS is characterized by a cluster of congenital birth defects
that develop in the infants of some women who drink heavily during pregnancy. These
defects include prenatla and postnatal growth deficiency; facial deformities, such as small
head circumference, falttened midface, and sunken nasal bridge. 4 out of 10,000 babys
are born with FAS.
Women who smoke tend to have more stillbirths, miscarriages or low birthweights.
Babies born with low birthweight are at greater risk of death of disability than newborns
with normal weight, and they may also have learning problems in school.
The unborn baby of a pregnant woman taking street drugs such as cocaine is the
direct target of those drugs, not a secondary victim, according to a researcher studying
the way these drugs get to the baby. The premature birth of tiny babies who have heart
problems or other birth defects often results from mothers to be taking cocaine and
similar street drugs. The baby’s problems were believed to be the indirect result of the
drugs, this is circulated in the pregnant woman’s bloodstream constricting her blood
vessels, raising her blood pressure and increasing her heart rate and so also restricting the
flow of nutrients and oxygen to the baby. But the Medical College of Georgia
researchers found that two of the three pathways these drugs take to the pregnant
woman’s brain also exist in the placenta; the exception is the so called “pleasure” pathway
of the neurotransmitter which results in users feeling elated and eventually addicted.
Relatively few birth defects can be completely corrected, but many can be treated
to slow, stop or partly reverse harmful effects. There are growing reasons for an
optimistic out look about the life many children with birth befects can lead. In recent
years, there have been tremendous gains in medical treatment, education and other
opportunities for people with disabling conditions. Some treatments can be done before
the baby is born. These include medication to reverse fatal heart failure, transfusions to
counteract severe Rh blood disease, and hormona and vitamin theropy to correct
The Term Paper on Thalidomide Birth Defect
... drug was linked to the horrific malformations such as babies being born with flipper like limbs. It was also blamed for other birth defects ... of Thalidomide when all other treatments have been exhausted. Women in these studies are required to take numerous pregnancy ... thousand to twelve thousand babies were born with defects due to Thalidomide in other parts of the world, including Europe and Canada. ...
metabolic problems. Prenatal corrective surgery also is an important way to repair
certain defects. In a landmark operation in 1989, March of Dimes researchers
successfully repaired a life threatening internal malformation in a fetus still in the womb.
Other uses of prenatal sugery include the repair of potentially fatal urinarry tract
blockages. Transplants, including corneas, kidneys, liver and bone marrow also are
possible means of treatment for some conditions. Soon, gene therapy (replacement of
faulty or missing genes with new ones) will give some children a second chance for a
life nearly free of disabilities. Advances in prosthetics, from lifelike artificial hands and
limbs that respond to the body’s own muscle signals to powerful hearing aids, bring new
abilities to those with disabilities. Rehabilitative training can help compensate for a
variety of impairments, including mental, physical and sensory problems. Therapy to
improve slowing reflexes, increase attention span, and aid learning skills are examples
of many ways rehabilitation medicine can bring a higher level of functioning to those with
certain birth defects. This training also can help patients build muscle tone, range of
motion and other skills that help them lead fuller lives. New medications, such as those
to control spasticity, are easing the burden of living with some birth defects.
Technological advancements, including wheelchairs with adaptive controls and standing
wheelchairs, allow new mobility for many. The world in general is increasingly
understanding and accepting of people with disabilities. Finally, there is greater emphasis on
fitness for the disabled, seen in the growing popularity of sports competitions, also
reflects more interest in seeing what children and adults with birth defects or handicaps
can do rather than what they cannot.
