Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

If you are looking for information on congenital defects, then you should know that these usually occur because of genetic disorders, chromosomal disorders or hereditary abnormalities. Due to modern technology it is possible for the doctors to recognize some of these defects right after fertilization.

Information about defects that are congenital

These defects refer to physical or mental disabilities that could turn out to be fatal. At the moment there are over 4,000 known defects of this kind. According to official information, one out of 33 babies is born with some kind of defect. Some of the defects could lead to a miscarriage.

Common birth defects

No matter how advanced technology is, still there are a lot of children born on a yearly basis with different defects that cause some kind of disability at some point of their life. The sad truth is that there are more than 4 million children in the U.S. who have some kind of defect.

One of the most common congenital defects is spina bifida. This is a minor birth defect that is caused by the neural tube that doesn’t close completely. This way there will be a split gap. Another common defect is arhinencephaly. It is a major defect of the nervous system. As a result there will be another head on the body of the baby.

Hydrocephaly

When it comes to defects present at birth you could also think about hydrocephaly. This defect cannot be explained and it refers to an accumulation of fluids in the cavities of the brain. The result of the effect can be mental disability. However in serious cases it could also lead to death.

Anophthalmos

This one of the congenital defects means that the baby is missing one or both eyes. Anotia is a similar defect, but in this case one or both ears are missing. Babies could also have a transposition of blood vessels. This is a heart disorder that means that the major blood vessels are abnormally arranged.

Tetralogy of Fallot

This birth disorder refers to a heart disorder which means that the heart of the baby is affected by four abnormalities. Another well-known defect is the Down syndrome. In this case the baby has an extra chromosome that causes mental retardation. This is known as the most common defect.

Cerebral palsy

This one of the congenital defects develops while the baby is still in the womb as a result of an injury of the mother. Because of the injury the brain of the baby can be affected leading to sensory disabilities, mental retardation or both. Autism is also a common problem which is a developmental disorder.

Less common disorders of birth

The less common disorders of this kind include aglossia, albinism, aniridia, brachydactlia, cleft hand and foot, dwarnian ear, heterochromia, club foot, polydatyly, and chromatelopsia. These are all disorders that cannot be avoided by the mother.

As you can see having a baby with congenital defects is the nightmare of every parent, but it isn’t something that you can’t live with.