Birth Defects are Common, Costly and Critical

For many parents, the birth of a child is one of the happiest occasions of their lives. The new parents are ecstatic to count ten little fingers and 10 little toes and are eager to begin all the late nights with their new bouncing bundle of joy. That’s the case for the parents of roughly 4 million babies born each year.

On the other hand, every 4 ½ minutes, a child is born with a birth defect. That’s roughly 1 in every 33 babies born in the United States and birth defects remain the leading cause of infant mortality. Recently, hospital costs of children with birth defects exceeded 2.5 billion annually. Parents with a child who has Down syndrome spent 12 to 13 times the medical costs for a child without.

The National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) is raising awareness about birth defects and screening during the month of January with the theme, “Birth defects are common, costly and critical.” Their hopes are that by sharing information about birth defects, and encouraging potential parents to make healthy lifestyle choices, the number of children born with birth defects will decrease. According to the NBDPN, various types of birth defects can occur in any family regardless of race, health history, economic status or level of education. These birth defects include: congenital heart defects, cleft lip or palate, defects of the brain, spine, bones, muscles, internal organs, or a variety of genetic syndromes such as Down syndrome.

There are some simple precautions expecting mothers can take when trying or becoming pregnant: • Consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily • Manage chronic maternal illnesses such as diabetes, seizure disorders, or phenylketonuria (PKU) • Reach and maintain a healthy weight • Talk to a health care provider about taking any medications, both prescription and over-the-counter • Avoid alcohol, smoking, and illicit drugs • See a health care provider regularly • Avoid toxic substances at work or at home • Ensure protection against domestic violence • Know their family history and seek reproductive genetic counseling, if appropriate

While these measures are important, The Medical Foundation also offers Prenatal Risk screening tests. These blood tests measure certain substances produced by the developing fetus and placenta that are passed into the mother’s blood. The amount of these substances in the mother’s blood can help to determine the risk of certain genetic abnormalities in the developing infant. The test is typically performed between the 14th and 22nd weeks of pregnancy.

There are two Prenatal Risk screening tests performed at The Medical Foundation. The first, is referred to as Triple Marker, which measures substances called alpa-fetoprotein (AFP), estriol, and human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG). The other test performed at the Foundation is the Quadruple Marker. This test measures the three substances listed above, as well as inhibin-A.

The screening can determine whether or not the mother is in a high-risk group for giving birth to an infant that may have Down syndrome, open neural tube defects or Trisomy 18. While the screening is typically an indicator of risk, it is not an absolute or conclusive guarantee that the infant with be born with or without the defects.

For more information about screening provided by The Medical Foundation click here. Included in the brochure, is more information about Trisomy 18, open neural tube defects and Down syndrome.