Skip to content

News Health

Health News, Tips, and More

Menu
  • Disclaimer
  • Related Sites
Menu

What are congenital malformations?

Posted on January 21, 2010 by News Health

Congenital malformation: A physical 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. In a malformation, the development of a structure is arrested, delayed, or misdirected early in embryonic life and the effect is permanent.
Congenital malformations can 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), 2-3% of babies are born with a major congenital malformation. These infants include many with heart defects, cleft lip or palate, Down syndrome, spina bifida, and limb defects.
Congenital malformations are now the leading cause of infant mortality (death) in the United States (and many other developed nations). They are present in one of every three babies that die in the US.
How a particular congenital malformation affects a child varies. It depends greatly on the severity of the defect and whether or not other medical problems are present. The parents of children with congenital malformations are encouraged to discuss the specifics of the effects of the defect on their child’s current condition with their child’s doctor.
A congenital malformations is also called a birth defect or a congenital anomaly.

source: medterms.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Answering Your Questions About Alcohol Rehab
  • 8 Key Home and Personal Hygiene Goals and Objectives for 2023
  • The Importance of Cell and Gene Therapy
  • 9 Ways to Optimize Your Health This Year
  • Healthful Living Resources and Services
  • How to Lose Weight After Many Failed Attempts
  • Tips to Successfully Utilize Telehealth Services
  • How to Keep Your Older Relatives Healthy
  • The Most Physically Demanding Trades That Require Employee Physical Fitness
  • Living a Healthy Lifestyle Tips for Your Home

Archives

April 2023
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
« Mar    
© 2023 News Health | Powered by Superbs Personal Blog theme