Causes And Types Of Birth Defects

Birth defects refer to the abnormalities found in the baby since the time of the birth. These abnormalities may be associated with the body metabolism, its functions, and even structure. The intensity of the defects may vary largely depending upon the type of defects. Some are minor while some others are serious. Some abnormalities may be fatal while some others may lead to mental or physical disabilities. As per the recent statistics, three out of every hundred babies are born with some kind of defects in the United States of America.

Types Of Defects

There can be different kinds of birth defects. Some of the common defects may include Heart defects, Neural tube defects, and Cleft lip and/or palate. These are the common ones that occur one in a hundred case. However, there can be several other types of defects, which are not as common. The uncommon defects may include Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), Tay-Sachs disease, Sickle cell anemia, Muscular dystrophy, Fragile X, Fragile X syndrome, Phenylketonuria (PKU), Down syndrome, Gastrointestinal defects, Cystic fibrosis (CF), Congenital hypothyroidism, Congenital hip dislocation, Clubfoot, Cerebral palsy, and many more.

Causes Of Defects

There can be plenty of causes of the birth defects depending upon the kind of abnormalities the baby is suffering from. There are parents who really feel guilty if their baby is suffering from birth defects. However, in most cases, the causes are unknown and it may or may not be associated with the problems in the parents. The reason may be genetic, environmental or there may be some other factors. 25% of all such cases have identified the cause as genetic. The environmental causes account for 10% of all abnormalities. However, the causes for the remaining 65% of abnormalities are still not very clear. The third most known reason is known to be the interplay of factors related to environmental and genetic birth defects.

Birth Defects Caused By Infections During Pregnancy

Following are some of the infections during pregnancy that may lead to several pregnancy birth defects in the newborn baby.

• • Congenital varicella syndrome may result in mental retardation, seizures, blindness, a smaller-than-normal head, malformed and paralyzed limbs, and defects of muscle and bone.
• • Toxoplasmosis infection may lead to cerebral palsy, mental retardation, enlarged liver or spleen, learning disabilities, hearing loss, and vision problems in the baby.
• • Infections like Congenital rubella can be very fatal, which may result in some serious abnormalities, such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, heart defects, hearing loss, or even vision loss.
• • Moreover, Genital herpes virus infection may even lead to brain damage and the death of the baby.

Keeping in view all the above things, you are recommended to keep in touch with your health care professional and inquire about the preventive ways to avoid these birth defects.