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5 Things You Must Know About Birth Defects

Each minute, 250 children are born all over the world. However, not all of these babies are born healthy. Some babies suffer from birth defects and these are some of the facts that can bring light to this phenomenon.

1) Birth defects are common.

It is often diagnosed after a baby leaves the hospital. Currently, 1 out of 33 babies are born with defects and from this, 1 out of 5 dies. Birth defects are not always inherited from parents. What's even more painful is often the defects are not detected while at hospital. Although, some visible defects like cleft lips can be seen easily, others like heart diseases go unnoticed. Often, the condition only gets diagnosed when problems starts to surface.

2) Some birth defects can be detected before birth.

Before the baby is born, birth defects can be detected by doing some tests like ultrasound and amniocentesis. These tests reveal defects such as spina bifida, heart defects or Down's syndrome. Early diagnosis helps the parents in making plans for the future.

3) Scientists are trying to find out the causes of birth defects.

Other than genetics, scientists imply that birth defects are linked to smoking, drinking, exposure to radiation and chemicals, stress, too much work out. Expectant mothers who become too tense during their pregnancy can also give birth to babies with defects. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, one kind of defect, occur in children whose mothers drank excessive alcohol while they were conceiving. In this disorder the person suffers from behavioral or physical defects. There no safe quantity of alcohol for a pregnant mother and doctors strongly recommend pregnant women to stay away from alcohol to ensure that the baby will be healthy.

4) Ways to keep the unborn baby safe.

It is up to the mother and everyone around her to make sure that the baby is born without any defect. The expectant mother should avoid smoking, drinking, stress and other activities that are prohibited by the doctor. The people around her should not smoke because passive smoking is more harmful than active smoking. The pregnant mother should observe proper hygiene for the baby's sake. The mother should clean her hands with soap after using the toilet, handling raw meat, gardening, handling pets, handling uncooked eggs, handling unwashed vegetables, or taking care of little children.

5) An unborn child is not always safe from the outside world. If the mother suffers from a disease during pregnancy, it can seriously affect the baby. Infections can be transmitted easily from the mother to the unborn child through the placenta. The placenta acts as a bridge between the mother and the unborn child. Food, oxygen and the baby's feces are all transported through the placenta. So, diseases and infections can also be transmitted through the placenta. The pregnant mother must ensure that she is healthy at all times. She should take folic acid and other medicines prescribed by the doctor. Aside from that, it would be best to avoid taking regular medicines for various diseases without asking the doctor if it is safe to do so. Visiting the doctor for regular medical checkups is advisable as it can help in monitoring the condition of the unborn child.