Birth defect
Birth defect: Any defect present in a baby at birth, irrespective of whether the defect is caused by a genetic factor or by prenatal events that are not genetic.
Birth defects may involve many different organs including the brain, heart, lungs, liver, bones, and intestinal tract. These defects can occur for many reasons including inherited (genetic) conditions, toxic exposure of the fetus (for example, to alcohol), birth injury and, in many cases, for unknown reasons. All parents are at risk of having a baby with a birth defect, regardless of age, race, income or residence.
In the US (and many other developed nations), 2% to 3% of babies are born with a medically significant birth defect. The infants with birth defects include many with heart defects, cleft lip or palate, Down syndrome, spina bifida, and limb defects.
Birth defects are now the leading cause of infant mortality (death) in the United States (and many other developed nations). Birth defects are present in one of every five babies that die in the US.
How a particular birth defect affects a child varies and depends greatly on the severity of the defect and whether or not other medical problems are present. The parents of children with birth defects are encouraged to discuss the specifics of the effects of the defect on their child’s current condition with their child’s doctor.
A birth defect is also called a congenital malformation or a congenital anomaly.
Read Also:
- Birth defects, study of
Birth defects, study of: The study of birth defects is now usually called dysmorphology. Dysmorphology is a term coined by Dr. David W. Smith in the 1960’s to describe the study of human congenital malformations (birth defects), particularly those affecting the morphology (the anatomy) of the individual. Dysmorphology literally mean, “the study of abnormal form.” […]
- Birth rate
Birth rate: The birth rate is usually given as the number of live births divided by the average population (or the population at midyear). This is termed the crude birth rate. In 1995, for example, the crude birth rate per 1,000 population was 14 in the United States, 16.9 in Australia, etc.
- Birthmark
A persistent visible mark on the skin that is evident at birth or shortly thereafter. A birthmark is often due to a nevus (a mole) or an hemangioma (a localized collection of small blood vessels). Birthmarks that are pink or red are commonly capillary hemangiomas — collections of tiny blood vessels — that are most […]
- bis in die (on prescription)
bis in die (on prescription): Seen on a prescription, bid means twice (two times) a day. It is an abbreviation for “bis in die” which in Latin means twice a day. The abbreviation bid is sometimes written without a period either in lower-case letters as “bid” or in capital letters as “BID” or with periods […]
- Bisexual suicide risk
Bisexual suicide risk: High rates of suicide have consistently been reported among homosexuals, particularly among adolescents and young adults. A 1989 report concluded that “gay youth are 2 to 3 times more likely to attempt suicide than other young people. They may comprise up to 30% of completed youth suicides annually.” In 1999 it was […]