I talked with Cheryl Miner who
works as a Dietician at the newborn intensive care unit for the Timpanogos
Regional Medical Center. Previously, she also worked as a dietician at the
newborn ICU in the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center for 35 years. She
discussed with me which birth defects she has been seeing the most of in her
work in the newborn ICU.
The
following are the top 5 most commonly occurring birth defects in Utah Valley
through the year 2012:
1. Heart Defects: Some Heart defects can
have lasting effects on babies depending on how serious the defect is. Cheryl
talked with me about a condition known as Patent ductus arteriosis, which is a very
common occurrence. With PDA, a fetal blood vessel that normally closes soon
after birth does not close resulting
in an irregular transmission of blood between the aorta and the pulmonary
artery. Cheryl said that some minor heart defects happen quite frequently but
that they are fairly easy to treat because doctors are on site ready to treat
and or perform surgery if the heart defect worsens.
2. Clef Lip and Palate: Clef lip and palate is not a genetic disease. Cheryl
discussed with me that treating Clef lip and palate in a country like America
can be treated soon after birth because Healthcare is widely available. In a
country were Healthcare is not widely available, children born with a clef do
not receive treatment and suffer the effects for the rest of their lives. We
can also observe the clef forming in an ultra sound and know that measures will
need to be taken to fix the deformation.
3. Down Syndrome: Down syndrome is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of
a third copy of the chromosome 21. 1 out of every 732 babies are born with
Down syndrome. Cheryl said that at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, a
baby with Down syndrome will be born about once a week. Children with Down
syndrome may suffer from other health implications in the future, including a
shortened life span. Many mothers will even perform abortions if they find out
that their baby will be born with Down syndrome.
4. Cystic Fibrosis: With this chronic
disease affecting over 30,000 children and adults in the U.S. a defective gene and its
protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that
clogs the lungs leading to life threating lung infections. It also affects the
digestive system in that the mucus obstructs the pancreas, stopping natural
enzymes from helping the body breakdown and absorb food. Since Cystic Fibrosis
is usually diagnosed in children before the age of 2, Cheryl pointed out that
it is a definite concern for those working with newborns even though it is not
a common occurrence.
5. Spina Bifida: Spina bifida is a
neural tube defect that affects a baby’s spinal cord, and the tissues
surrounding them. Cheryl discussed the different levels of severity for babies
with spina bifida, which can be partially treated through surgery. She also
noted the strong association between spina bifida incidence and a mother’s lack
of sufficient folic acid intake in the diet. When a pregnant mother eats foods
high in folic acid and or takes a supplement of folic acid, she can greatly
reduce the risk of her baby having spina bifida. In serious cases, paralysis
can occur along with other health problems such as urinary tract dysfunction.
Although serious birth defects may not be as common as other health related problems that occur later in a persons life, many birth defects cannot simply be treated or prevented with a medication or a lifestyle change. Often times, expensive surgeries will need to be performed which may not even remove or fix the birth defect entirely. I believe that many steps still need to be made and most likely will be made to help prevent and treat birth defects so that people can live happy, healthy lives.
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