1. Influences on Birth Defects

2. FACTS About 150,000 babies are born each year with birth defects.
The parents of one out of every 28 babies receive the frightening news that their baby has a birth defect
There are over 4,000 known birth defects
Birth defects are the leading cause of death in the first year of life.

3. What is a Birth Defect? A birth defect is an abnormality that is present at birth that affects the structure or functions of the body and may threaten a baby’s health and/or welfare.

4. Environmental Influences on Birth Defects
Inadequate nutrition of mother
Exposure to diseases or infections during pregnancy
Harmful substances consumed during pregnancy

5. Environmental Influences on Birth Defects
Inadequate nutrition of mother
Stunted brain development of baby
Leads to learning disabilities

6. Environmental Influences on Birth Defects
Exposure to diseases or infections during pregnancy
Rubella, or German Measles, can cause blindness, deafness, heart disease, and learning disabilities
Toxoplasmosis, can cause hearing loss, learning disabilities and death; found in cat litter and some raw meats
Chicken pox, scarring of babies’ skin, limb defects, eye problems, and miscarriage
STDs can be passed to unborn child and lead to serious illness, physical disabilities, or death

7. Environmental Influences on Birth Defects
Harmful substances consumed during pregnancy
Nicotine from smoking tobacco or secondhand smoke
Smaller babies
Miscarriages and premature births
Respiratory infections or allergies

8. Environmental Influences on Birth Defects
Harmful substances consumed during pregnancy
Alcohol can cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
20% of infants die
Facial deformities, delayed physical growth, heart defects, and hyperactivity
Learning disabilities
Poor coordination
Difficulty controlling behavior

9. Environment Influences of Birth Defects
Harmful substances consumed while pregnant
Drugs
Over-the-the counter drugs
Drug addiction
Long-term learning and behavioral problems
Risk of miscarriages
Congenital heart problems

10. Environmental Influences on Birth Defects
Exposure to hazards during pregnancy
Chemicals
X-rays
Toxoplasmosis – extreme high blood pressure

11. Environmental Influences on Birth Defects
Accidental injuries
Cerebral palsy caused by damage to brain before, during, or shortly after birth
Falls lead to a variety of complications

12. Hereditary Influences on Birth Defects
1. Defective recessive genes inherited from both parents
Cystic fibrosis
Tay-Sachs disease
Sickle cell anemia
2. Defective dominant gene inherited from one parent
Hemophilia
Huntington’s disease
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Color blindness
3. Errors in chromosomes
Down syndrome

13. Combined Influence of Heredity and Environment Birth Defects
Drugs + virus = heart defect
Cleft lip/cleft palate
Spina Bifida – reduce risk by taking folic acid

14. Can birth defects be prevented?
While the potential causes of most birth defects are not known, there are a number of steps a woman can take to reduce her risk of having a baby with a birth defect.

15. Brainstorm
Visit a health care provider for a pre-pregnancy check up, especially if a woman has health problems. Also to get an amniocentesis
When pregnant take daily multivitamins containing 400 mg of the B-vitamin folic acid
Avoid alcohol, drugs, smoking, prescription or over-the-counter medication unless approved by a health care provider

16. Can some birth defects be diagnosed before birth?