Birth_Defects

About one in every thirty-three babies is affected with a birth defect each year. A baby can contract a birth defect while it is developing in the mother’s stomach. It is said that most birth defects happen during the first three months of pregnancy and that they can affect almost any part of the body. Some birth defects may be diagnosed before birth, while others are diagnosed even after the baby has left the hospital. This means that a lot of birth defects are not found right after birth. During pregnancy, or even before, there are a number of factors that may cause birth defects. While most women are aware of birth defects, all expectant mothers should be aware of the causes of birth defects and how to prevent them.      There are a few different types of birth defects, but the two main types are those that are structural and functional/developmental. Problems associated with body parts are structural birth defects. Heart defects are a type of structural defect. A functional birth defect is a problem in how a body part/system works. Down syndrome is a type of functional birth defect. Heart defects and Down syndrome are two of the most common and often times fatal birth defects. According to CDC (n.d.),”about 1 in every 100 to 200 babies is born with a heart defect. Heart defects make up about one-third to one-fourth of all birth defects” (What are the most common birth defects', para.2). A heart defect is an abnormality of any part of the heart and can originate in the first weeks of pregnancy; during this stage of pregnancy, the heart is beginning to develop. Some babies with heart defects have no symptoms and may develop what physicians call a murmur which is innocent. However, other heart defects can cause congestive heart failure. This condition means that the heart is not pumping enough blood to the lungs or the rest of the body which can lead to a build-up. A child with this defect may have a rapid heartbeat or trouble breathing. Some of those infants with a heart defect may have pale grayish or bluish skin coloring that should be immediately checked by a doctor. In most cases the cause of heart defects is unknown; however, women who contract infections such as measles or the flu and those who drink alcohol or use cocaine during pregnancy have a high risk of producing a baby with a heart defect. Down syndrome affects about one in every eight hundred babies each year in the United States. It is one of the most common of birth defects. It is said that there are more than 400,000 people with Down syndrome in the U.S. today. Down syndrome is a genetic birth defect caused by extra genetic material in the chromosome. Often times, something may go wrong during or before the sperm fertilizes the egg. Sometimes the egg or sperm cell may divide incorrectly causing this defect. It is said that about half of the babies with Down syndrome also have a heart defect, among many other serious problems of the body.     There are several different ways to prevent birth defects. Women, both expectant and those who are planning to become pregnant, should maintain healthy diets and should enhance said diets by including and excluding certain factors, to help prevent birth defects. Prenatal care and proper nutrition will help to reduce the risk of birth defects. Women should also begin pregnancy at a weight that is healthy, which means plenty of exercise and staying in shape. All women and expectant mothers should have adequate amounts of micronutrients, such as folic acid, iodine, and iron. Folic acid is very important for all women, especially expectant mothers. Every woman should take folic acid starting in her teens and continue to do so throughout the rest of her life. A not so recent, but still quite effective and informative case study shows that most women are not aware of the benefits of folic acid. According to doctors Indu Ahluwalia and Katherine Lyon Daniel of the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), “each year, almost 4,000 pregnancies result in serious and often times fatal birth defects of babies. By taking folic acid (vitamin B), women can reduce this statistic by 50%-70%. CDC created a system called the Pregnancy Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) to analyze the awareness of folic acid among women. The question asked was, “have you ever heard or read that taking the vitamin folic acid can help prevent some birth defects'” The overall folic acid awareness increased by 15% within a two year time period. However, CDC did not stop there. They observed various groups of women, such as those who had a high school education or less, those whose pregnancies were unplanned, and those women who were black, Hispanic, or from other ethnic groups. The study showed that these women, in low economic groups, were unacquainted of the benefit of folic acid. All women should be aware that birth defects are not only possible during pregnancy, but they are also very common. Women, or namely those who are expecting, should avoid certain aspects so as to protect her unborn child. Some common aspects they should avoid are cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke, consumption of alcohol substances, legal and illegal drug use and toxic chemicals. Some healthful tips that pregnant women should keep in mind is to drink extra fluids (water is the best), eat healthy foods, take 400 micrograms of folic acid and 30 milligrams of iron daily, and plenty of physical activity and rest. A woman must remember that about fifty percent of all pregnancies are unplanned and while not all birth defects can be prevented, expectant mothers should take certain precautions to increase her chance of having a healthy, happy baby.