The majority of the couples are afraid that their baby could be affected by birth defects and diseases.
This is an option in case of every pregnancy and although it sounds quite scary, you should know that there are some things that you could do to avoid situations of this kind.
What are the birth abnormalities?
These are functional or structural abnormalities that are present at birth and that cause mental or physical disability. The sad truth is that some of them are fatal. There are thousands of defects of this kind and at the moment these are the most important cause of fetal death.
The causes of birth abnormalities
There are different causes that could lead to abnormalities, including genetic problems that can be provoked by one or more genes that don’t work as they should and it is also possible for a part of gene to be missing.
Chromosomal problems are also possible, including having an extra chromosome or lacking one.
The environmental factors also have a word to say regarding birth defects and diseases. These are all about the factors that the women are exposed to during pregnancy, like German measles and rubella.
These factors also include alcohol and drugs that could have a negative effect on pregnancy.
Different types of birth abnormalities
There are two main types of defects: structural and functional. The structural defects refer to the ones related to the body parts.
Problems of this kind include cleft palate and cleft lip. The heart defects also belong here, such as problems with the valves and the abnormal limbs too.
In the same time the structural birth defects and diseases involve neural tube defects, like spina bifida or the problems regarding the development and growth of the spinal cord and of the brain.
The functional problems refer to the problems that influence the way a certain body part works.
Brain or nervous system problems
The birth abnormalities of this kind include mental retardation, learning disabilities, language or speaking difficulties, behavioral disorders, movement trouble and convulsions.
The abnormalities affecting the nervous system involve Down syndrome, autism, fragile X syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome.
Sensory problems
When talking about birth defects and diseases you could also be thinking about cataracts, blindness or other sight problems. The babies that are affected could also suffer from hearing problems, including deafness. Because of these problems that babies may not have a real world image.
Metabolic disorders
These birth abnormalities involve the chemical reaction or pathway or the body processes. The problems of this kind could limit the body in the natural processes, such as getting rid of the waste products or other harmful chemicals. The most common problems are hypothyroidism and also phenylketonuria.
Degenerative disorders
Such birth defects and diseases are conditions that might not be observed upon birth but they make one or several aspects of the babies’ health worsen over time. Examples for problems of this kind include X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, muscular dystrophy, Rett syndrome and lysosomal disorders.
Treatments
The treatments vary according to the birth abnormalities that we are referring to. If you would like to know more about the possible treatments, you should talk to your health care provider.
Just as in any other case, the best treatment for the birth defects and diseases is to prevent them. One of the measures that you should take is to take folic acid before your pregnancy and during it.
This way you can avoid the neural tube defects and don’t forget that it is also good for your health. There are some other vitamins as well you should consider.
