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It could be the most frightening news a parent receives, yet it happens every day. The parents of one out of every 28 babies learn that their baby has a birth defect. Birth defects, according to the March of Dimes (MOD), affect 150,000 babies each year. While birth defects range from mild to severe, MOD says they are the leading cause of death in the first year of life. A birth defect, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), can affect how a person looks and/or functions. Most defects develop long before the baby is born. According to the CDC, many birth defects happen during the first 3 months of pregnancy. (Read about "Stages of Pregnancy") They can be discovered before birth, at birth, or after birth. The CDC says most are found during a baby's first 12 months of life.
Birth defects are grouped into different categories:
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says that multiple birth pregnancies and pregnancies in older women can carry greater risks of some birth defects. (Read about "Multiple Birth Pregnancies" "Later Age Pregnancy") According to MOD, the causes of about 60 to 70 percent of birth defects are not known. When birth defects can be traced to a cause, possibilities include genetics and environment. For example, ACOG says a baby can be born with a birth defect because the mother was exposed to an infection. (Read about "Microorganisms") MOD lists rubella or "German measles" (Read about "Childhood Illnesses") as possibly the best known congenital infection. Another infection - Cytomegalovirus (CMV) - is considered the most common congenital viral infection, according to MOD. It affects about 40,000 babies a year. CMV is a member of the herpes virus family. (Read about "Herpes") Sexually transmitted diseases (Read about "STD's") can also endanger the fetus. MOD says untreated syphilis, for example, can result in stillbirth, newborn death or bone defects. (Read about "Skeletal System") An incompatibility between the blood of a mother and her fetus leads to a birth defect called Rh disease (Read about "Rh Disease"), according to MOD. Other causes of birth defects include fetal alcohol syndrome, which is common among babies whose mothers drink too much during pregnancy. (Read about "Alcoholism") Cocaine use may also increase the risk of birth defects.
Anencephaly: see Neural Tube Defects Apert syndrome: see Craniofacial Disorders Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs): see Vascular Lesions of the Central Nervous System Atrial septal defect: see Congenital Heart Defects Birth marks: see Vascular Birthmarks Bladder exstrophy: see Genitourinary Birth Defects Bleeding disorders: see Bleeding Disorders Capillary telangiectases: see Vascular Lesions of the Central Nervous System Cavernous malformations: see Vascular Lesions of the Central Nervous System Cerebral palsy: see Cerebral Palsy Cleft lip: see Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Cleft palate: see Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Clubfoot: see Clubfoot Coarctation of the aorta: see Congenital Heart Defects Craniofacial disorders: see Craniofacial Disorders Craniosynostosis: see Craniofacial Disorders Crouzon syndrome: see Craniofacial Disorders Cystic fibrosis: see Cystic Fibrosis Deafness: see Hearing Loss DiGeorge syndrome: see Primary Immunodeficiency Down syndrome: see Down Syndrome Encephaloceles: see Neural Tube Defects Fragile X syndrome: see Fragile X Syndrome Genital ambiguity: see Genitourinary Birth Defects Genitourinary birth defects: see Genitourinary Birth Defects Glaucoma, congenital: see Glaucoma Hearing loss: see Hearing Loss Heart defects: see Congenital Heart Defects Hemangioma: see Vascular Birthmarks Hemophilia: see Bleeding Disorders Hydrocephalus: see Hydrocephalus Hydronephrosis: see Genitourinary Birth Defects Hypospadias: see Genitourinary Birth Defects Klinefelter syndrome (XXY): see Klinefelter Syndrome (XXY) Macular stains: see Vascular Birthmarks Marfan syndrome: see Marfan Syndrome Muscular dystrophy: see Neuromuscular Diseases Neural tube defects: see Neural Tube Defects Neuromuscular diseases: see Neuromuscular Diseases Osteopetrosis: see Osteopetrosis Patent ductus arteriosus: see Congenital Heart Defects Patent foramen ovale: see Patent Foramen Ovale Pfeiffer syndrome: see Craniofacial Disorders Polycystic kidney disease (PKD): see Polycystic Kidney Disease Port wine stains: see Vascular Birthmarks Pregnancy testing: see Pregnancy Testing Renal agenesis: see Genitourinary Birth Defects Rett syndrome: see Autism Spectrum Disorders Saethre-Chotzen syndrome: see Craniofacial Disorders Sickle cell disease: see Sickle Cell Disease Spina bifida: see Neural Tube Defects Tay-Sachs disease (infantile form): see Tay-Sachs Disease (infantile form) Testing: see Pregnancy Testing Tetralogy of Fallot: see Congenital Heart Defects Transposition of the great arteries: see Congenital Heart Defects Turner syndrome: see Turner Syndrome Undescended Testicle: see Genitourinary Birth Defects Venous malformations: see Vascular Lesions of the Central Nervous System Ventricular septal defect: see Congenital Heart Defects Vesicoureteral reflux, primary: see Genitourinary Birth Defects XXY (Klinefelter syndrome): see Klinefelter Syndrome (XXY) |
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