The sad truth regarding birth defects is that there are more than 150,000 babies born in the U.S. every year that have some kind of defect. These could be caused by environmental or genetic factors, but still the reason of about 65% of the cases is still a mystery for the doctors.
Cleft lip and palate as some of the birth disorders
Such defects could occur in case the lip of the baby doesn’t form as it should during the fetal stage. Cleft lip means that there is an opening between the nose and the upper lip. A cleft palate refers to the situation when there is an opening between the nasal cavity and the roof of the mouth.
Cerebral palsy
This is another one of the most common birth disorders. Usually it takes months for the defect to be detected. In fact the condition refers to a group of different conditions caused by brain damage and as a result the baby has poor control of movement. People affected by it have problems with controlling their movements.
Clubfoot
Just as you may have though, this one of the birth defects refers to the disorders of the ankles and feet. In this case the joints, bones, blood vessels and muscles don’t form as they should. The disorder could be mild or severe and it could affect one foot or both of them. If this is the case, the feet have limitations regarding motion.
Congenital hip dislocation
This is one of the serious birth disorders and it happens in case the thighbone’s end doesn’t fit properly into the pelvis. Just as in the previous case this could happen to one of the hips or both. The condition is more common in case of girls, and the chances of appearance are higher in case you have some family history.
Congenital hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism of this kind is a rare one of the birth defects. It means that the thyroid glands of the baby aren’t developed so that they cannot produce hormones or that they are entirely missing. The thyroid hormone is important when it comes to the development of the nervous system and of the brain.
Fetal alcohol syndrome
This one of the birth disorders is also referred to as FAS and it could cause mental retardation, slow growth, problems of the central nervous system or abnormalities of the facial features. The sad truth is that there is no cure or treatment for the condition and all you can do is to avoid drinking alcohol while being pregnant.
Neural tube defects
NTDs are those birth defects that happen during the early stages of development when the spinal cord and the brain are still forming. Normally there should be a tube formed, but in case this doesn’t happen as it should and it doesn’t get closed, the little one will be affected by this condition that could have different forms.
Heart defects
The birth disorders could also affect the heart and this happens in case the organ doesn’t develop as it should. There are several defects of this kind, including septal defects, patent ductus arteriosus, valve stenosis, coarctation of the aorta, transposition of the arteries, hypoplastic heart system, or tretralogy of Fallot.
The truth about these birth defects is that they are quite common. The exact cause of them is still unknown, although the specialists know that there are several different factors that influence the development of the heart during the early stages of development.
Gastrointestinal tract birth disorders
The most common birth defects of this kind include esophageal atresia, diaphragmatic hernia and also pyloric stenosis.
