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Birth Defects

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Birth Defects What are some causes of birth defects? Problems in Prenatal Development Sometimes a pregnancy begins, but a baby doesn t develop normally If the baby ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Birth Defects


1
Birth Defects
  • What are some causes of birth defects?

2
Problems in Prenatal Development
  • Sometimes a pregnancy begins, but a baby doesnt
    develop normally
  • If the baby dies before the 20th week it is
    called a miscarriage
  • If the baby dies after that time, it is called a
    stillbirth.
  • 15-20 of recognized pregnancies end in
    miscarriage
  • 2 ends in stillbirth
  • Due to bonds that are formed way before the child
    is born, parents (especially the woman) may go
    through grieving.

3
Birth Defects
  • Some babies survive the pregnancy but are born
    with serious problems called birth defects.
  • Some birth defects include
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Cleft Lift and/or palate
  • Down Syndrome
  • Muscular Dystrophy
  • Sickle Cell Anemia
  • Spina Bifida and more!

4
Causes of Birth Defects
  • Some causes are environmental because it is
    during the first few weeks that a baby develops
    all the bodily systems needed for survival
  • The mothers diet
  • Any diseases or infections the mother has
  • Harmful substances
  • Some medicines
  • Exposure to hazards (such as chemicals, X-rays,
    etc.)
  • Some causes are hereditary
  • Sometimes a child inherits a defective gene that
    is dominant such as Huntington's
  • Some conditions affect only one sex and usually
    its the males
  • Hemophilia
  • Color blindness and more

5
More Causes of Birth defects
  • Errors in chromosomes
  • Such as when a baby has too many or too few
    chromosomes or has broken or rearranged
    chromosomes
  • This usually leads to Down Syndrome

6
Prevention and Diagnosis of Birth Defects
  • All types of birth defects cannot be anticipated
    or controlled, but there are several things that
    couples can do to minimize the chances.
  • Genetic counseling for those who have a history
    of birth defects in their family
  • Prenatal tests that can also determine whether or
    not a baby will be born with a birth defect
  • AFP tests the protein levels in the liver and an
    abnormal level could me a birth defect
  • Ultrasound can help determine problems with the
    babys skeletal, circulatory, or nervous systems.
  • Amniocentesis is when fluids are withdrawn fro
    the amniotic fluid and taken to a lab to be
    tested for birth defects

7
The Dilemma
  • What is your opinion on knowing if a child has a
    birth defect before they are born?
  • What would you do?
  • What do you think about parents who want this
    information only to determine whether to abort
    the baby or not?
  • Write a half page or more explaining your
    position on this topic!
  • You have 3 minutes to copy down these questions
  • They should all be discussed in your paper

8
Avoiding Dangers to the Baby
  • Always avoid alcohol which leads to Fetal alcohol
    syndrome
  • 1 in 5 babies born with this does not live to see
    his or her 1st birthday
  • Other Drugs
  • Medicines that are over the counter and prescribe
    by the doctor
  • Caffeine
  • Nicotine
  • All illegal drugs
  • inhalants

9
Causes of Drugs
  • Not avoiding the drugs can lead to
  • Low birth weight
  • SIDS (Sudden infant death syndrome)
  • Risks of seizures
  • Tremors and developmental delay
  • Congenital heart disease

10
Hazardous Substances and Chemicals
  • A pregnant woman should also avoid
  • Paint-low odor and/or latex
  • Pesticides
  • Lead
  • Carbon monoxide
  • Mercury (found in fish)

11
Infections
  • Occasionally a woman might get and infection
    during pregnancy and should seek immediate
    doctors attention.
  • Some of the infections include
  • Rubella
  • Toxoplasmosis
  • Chicken pox
  • Other diseases that may cause birth defects
    includes STDs and AIDS

12
Reflection
  • Write down 3 facts you learned about birth
    defects today.
  • Write down 3 more things you would like to learn
    about birth defects.
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