There are many influential factors that can impact the way a child develops in the womb. Genetics can cause defects, as can congenital conditions, and even environmental factors.
It is not normally possible to prevent these birth defects from developing but there are opportunities to correct a number of these issues after a child has been born.
Birth defects describe when abnormal growth changes occur during fetal development. Typical birth defects include being born with a cleft lip. If you search top plastic surgeons Utah, for instance, you will see that corrective surgery can put things right.
In the meantime, here is a look at some of the most common birth defects.
Cleft lip
While the fetus is developing in the womb, there is a potential congenital abnormality that can occur. When the tissues of the upper lip and the roof of the mouth don’t fuse together properly this creates a cleft lip or cleft palate.
There is no specific cause for this happening and parents are unable to prevent it, although it is believed that certain medications can heighten the risk of a cleft palate or lip.
Treatment to correct these problems starts in childhood and can be very helpful in minimizing the physical and mental trauma of this condition.
Bone growth abnormalities
Bone growth abnormalities can result in missing limbs, short stature issues, and scoliosis.
Scoliosis is a condition where the spine develops with a sideways curve. Severe examples of this condition will often be corrected using a brace.
The general term that encompasses a number of bone growth abnormalities is dwarfism or skeletal dysplasia. There are hundreds of different types of dwarfism that impact bone growth.
Heart problems
Another common area for birth defects is congenital heart disease. This is a defect that describes a problem with the heart’s structure. It is present at birth, but can sometimes only be detected later in life.
Sickle cell anemia
This is an inherited blood disorder, otherwise known as sickle cell disease.
Sickle cell anemia impacts your blood cell shape and makes the blood sticky, which prevents regular blood flow.
The prognosis for people who are diagnosed with sickle cell anemia is better these days as a result of early detection and treatment options.
One in every 1000 babies is born with a clubfoot
This congenital birth defect describes a condition where the baby’s feet turn inward.
Early treatment of the condition often produces a positive result where the child can enjoy normal development. Clubfoot is one of the most prevalent congenital foot deformities.
These are some of the most common birth defects, but it is also worth saying that birth defects are extremely common. Approximately one in every 33 babies is born with some sort of birth defect. Roughly 20% of these birth defects are a result of genetic defects. This demonstrates that many babies who are born with a birth defect have been impacted randomly.
The good news is that many defects and abnormalities can be improved or corrected with the help of medical interventions, including plastic surgery, where appropriate.
