Statistics
on birth defects provided by the March of Dimes show that about
150,000 infants – approximately one in 28 babies born
in hospital this year – will suffer from some kind of
birth defect.
Birth
defects are defined as structural, functional or body chemistry
abnormalities that are found in newborn babies. There are thousands
of identifiable birth defects, with the development results
varying from mental or physical disabilities as the child grows,
to the worst case scenario being the infant’s early death.
In fact, birth defects are noted as the leading cause of mortality
in children under a year old.
Parents
are especially concerned with the cause of
birth defects. The
March of Dimes also lists factors that can be traced to a person’s
genetics, as a developing fetus receives half each parent’s
genes. Just one irregular gene among a parent’s 20,000
– 25,000 genes can result in a birth defect. Referred
to as dominant inheritance, it occurs when a genetic disease
is passed from a parent to child in the form of one abnormal
gene, regardless of whether the parent actually has the disease.
Other gene-based birth defects can occur when the parents unknowingly
carry the same faulty gene that is passed down to the child.
Known as a recessive inheritance, an example of this is potentially
fatal cystic fibrosis that affects the child’s organs,
particularly the lungs. Some genetic diseases result from a
gene carried by the parent of the opposite sex, a well known
example being the blood-clotting disease of hemophilia that
is carried through a mother’s gene onto her son.
Chromosome
abnormalities can also result in a variety of birth defects.
Newborns with extra chromosome ‘copies’, specifically
too many ‘13’ or ’18’ chromosomes, often
experience various birth defects that unfortunately result in
infant death within their first few months. Some X and Y chromosome
defects are far less serious, affecting the child’s growth
and sexual development or resulting in learning and behavioral
difficulties, although these kids can lead fairly normal, healthy
lives.
Environmental
factors can also result in birth defects, particularly if a
parent abuses drugs or battles alcoholism, resulting in multifactorial
inheritance attributable to heart defects, clubfoot or cleft
palate birth defects.
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