Birth defects in babies: know the causes and how to prevent them

It is not an easy matter for parents to accept the fact that the baby is born imperfect. There are many factors that can cause a baby to experience birth defects. What are the causes of birth defects in babies and can they be prevented?

What are birth defects in babies?

Quoting from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, congenital abnormalities or birth defects are structural or functional disorders that are recognized since a newborn.

The health condition of the baby who experiences this usually depends on the organ or body part involved and the severity it has.

According to WHO, birth defects are experienced by about 1 in 33 babies in the world. In fact, there are about 3.2 million babies born in imperfect conditions worldwide each year.

Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia alone, birth defects or congenital abnormalities account for 90,000 deaths for newborns.

There are two types of birth defects, namely structural birth defects and functional birth defects. Structural abnormalities are problems related to parts of the body.

Take cases such as cleft lip, heart defects, clubfoot, and spina bifida. Clubfoot and spina bifida are several types of congenital abnormalities in the limbs of the baby.

Meanwhile, what is said to be a functional newborn disorder is related to problems with the function or limb system to do its work.

This problem often causes developmental disabilities that include the development of the nervous system or problems with the brain, such as those found in people with autism and Down syndrome.

What are the causes of birth defects?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this condition can be detected before birth or during pregnancy, at birth, or after birth.

However, most of them are found in the first year of life. Meanwhile, the process of birth defects usually starts around the age of the first three months or less than 12 weeks of gestation.

Some of the causes of birth defects are as follows:

1. Genetic factors

Mothers or fathers can carry genetic disorders in their babies. Genetic abnormalities occur when one or more genes don't work properly or a part of the gene is missing.

A gene can become defective because of a mutation or change that the gene undergoes.

An abnormality in genes can occur at conception, when the sperm meets the egg, and this cannot be prevented.

Changes or mutations in one or more genes make them not function properly. The same is the case when a part of the gene is missing.

2. Chromosome problems

Launching from the National Institute of Health, in certain cases, birth defects can be caused by the presence of a chromosome or a part of a missing chromosome.

However, there are also causes of birth defects due to excess chromosomes, for example in Down syndrome.

3. Lifestyle and environment

Birth defects can occur due to environmental factors that occur during pregnancy, including drug use, smoking, and drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Other factors, such as chemical and viral poisoning can also increase risk factors for birth defects. Pregnancies over the age of 35 can also increase the risk of birth defects.

Therefore, it's best to plan when is the best time for you to have children. It's best not to be too young or too old to get pregnant.

4. Infection

Pregnant women who develop certain infections during pregnancy have a higher risk of giving birth to babies with congenital abnormalities.

For example, Zika virus infection in pregnant women can trigger microcephaly, a condition in which the baby's brain size and head circumference are smaller than they should be.

5. Drug and chemical exposure

Chemical exposure and consumption of certain drugs are also one of the causes of birth defects in babies. On that basis it is important to always pay attention to the possibility of being exposed to chemicals while in a place.

You also need to always consult a doctor before taking medicines while pregnant.

6. Smoking and drinking alcohol while pregnant

It's good to avoid drinking alcohol while you are pregnant, even in small amounts.

This is because there is no definite amount that says alcohol is still safe to drink while pregnant.

Alcohol that enters the bloodstream of pregnant women can flow to the baby through the umbilical cord.

As a result, alcohol has the risk of causing babies to be born with abnormalities, miscarriages, stillbirths, and various other problems.

All kinds of alcohol have dangers, including wine (wine) and beer.

Meanwhile, the dangers of smoking during pregnancy not only cause birth defects, but also result in premature births, cleft lip, and death.

7. Mothers are obese

The condition of mothers who are obese or overweight is also one of the causes of birth defects.

If before pregnancy you were underweight, overweight, or obese, as much as possible, consult your doctor first.

The doctor will usually help advise you to reach your ideal weight during pregnancy as a way to prevent the baby from being born in a good condition.

What factors increase the risk of birth defects in babies?

Apart from genetic and environmental causes, there are various factors that can increase the risk of a baby being born with a defect.

Here are some risk factors for congenital abnormalities in newborns:

Mothers smoke while pregnant
Mothers drink alcohol while pregnant
Mothers take certain medicines while pregnant
Pregnant women at old age, for example, get pregnant at the age of more than 35 years
There are family members who also have a history of previous birth defects

However, it is important to understand that having one or more of these risks does not necessarily mean that you will give birth to a baby with congenital abnormalities in the future.

In fact, pregnant women who do not have one or more of the risks above can give birth to a baby with congenital defects.

How to diagnose birth defects in babies?

Doctors can diagnose congenital defects in a baby in the womb using an ultrasound (USG).

In addition, the examination can also be done with blood tests and amniocentesis tests (amniotic fluid sampling).

In contrast to ultrasound examination, blood tests and amniocentesis in pregnant women are usually performed if there is a high risk.

Either the mother is at high risk because of heredity or family history, age at pregnancy, and others.

However, the doctor will ensure more clearly about the presence of congenital abnormalities (congenital birth defects) in the baby by performing a physical examination.

On the other hand, blood tests or newborn screening tests can also help doctors to diagnose congenital defects or congenital abnormalities in newborns even before symptoms begin to appear.

In some cases, screening tests sometimes do not show that the baby has a congenital congenital abnormality until symptoms appear later in life.

What are the types of defects in newborns?

As previously mentioned, there are various kinds of abnormalities that can be experienced by babies when they are just born.

Congenital abnormalities in babies are divided based on their organs, such as:

Birth defects of nerves: Cerebral palsy and Spina bifida
Birth defects on the face: Cleft lip
Birth defects of the brain: Hydrocephalus
Birth defects of the lungs: Cystic fibrosis
Birth defects of the eye: congenital cataract, congenital glaucoma, retinopathy of prematurity, congenital dacryocystocele.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a congenital eye defect caused by impaired retinal blood vessel formation. This condition tends to be found in babies born prematurely.

Meanwhile, congenital dacryocystocele is a congenital eye defect that occurs due to a blockage in the nasolacrimal duct, which is the channel that drains tears into the nose.

These channels function to drain the tears so as not to cause the eyes to become watery under normal conditions.

How to prevent birth defects

What are the ways that pregnant women can take care of the pregnancy to prevent birth defects? Here are a variety of things you need to pay attention to.

1. Avoid diets

If the diet you mean during pregnancy is to lose weight, this is not recommended.

In fact, it's okay and would be better if you gain weight during pregnancy.

This is because the fetus in the womb needs continuous nutritional intake to support the baby's growth.

When you deliberately reduce food portions or limit certain types of food, this method will actually reduce fetal nutrition intake.

In fact, the first 1000 days of life are a golden period for baby development.

The first thousand days of this life begin from the time the baby is in the womb until he is even two years old.

However, overeating is also not good because it risks making you overweight and obese during pregnancy.

2. Take medication without a doctor's supervision

You should not take medication carelessly while pregnant. Some drugs can be "taken" by the fetus because they are absorbed into the placental tube.

Take, for example, pain medications like aspirin and ibuprofen. The consumption of both drugs in pregnant women must be very careful about the timing and dose of drinking, especially in the first and last trimester.

Launching from the Mayo Clinic, consumption of aspirin in the first trimester of pregnancy in high doses can cause congenital defects.

If high doses of aspirin are taken during the third trimester of pregnancy, this has the risk of clogging the arteries in the heart of the fetus, causing heart defects.

3. Avoid smoking and alcohol

Another way to prevent birth defects is to avoid drinking alcohol and smoking while pregnant.

Apart from preventing birth defects in babies, this effort also helps reduce the risk of miscarriage.

Children born to mothers who smoke have a higher risk of having crossed eyes, aka strabismus.

Babies whose mothers smoked in the first trimester of pregnancy were more likely to have heart and lung defects at birth.

Smoking during pregnancy can also have a permanent impact on brain function in children, such as low IQ.

In addition, the dangers of smoking during pregnancy also cause premature babies, cleft lip, and even infant death.

Drinking alcohol while pregnant can also cause babies to be born with fetal alcohol syndrome or birth defects that can have permanent impacts.

Babies can also experience facial deformities (smaller heads), stillbirths, physical defects, and damage to the central nervous system.

4. Avoid body conditions that are too hot

The CDC recommends pregnant women to avoid overheating and get immediate treatment when they have a fever.

This is because being in a condition or body temperature that is too hot can increase the risk of a baby born with neural tube defects (anencephaly).

Therefore, it is better to treat fever immediately and avoid exposure to too hot temperatures such as soaking in a hot tub.

5. Get immunized during pregnancy

There are several types of immunizations that are safe to give during pregnancy and even recommended. The types of immunization are the flu vaccine and the Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis).

Make sure you consult with your doctor first to find out which vaccines are recommended during pregnancy.

6. Meet the needs of folic acid

Pregnant women are strongly advised to meet their daily needs for folic acid in an effort to prevent birth defects in babies, especially in the brain and spinal cord.

Moreover, because the brain and spinal cord are formed very early, so there is a risk of causing abnormalities if they don't work well.

One of the birth defects that can occur due to insufficient intake of folic acid is spina bifida in babies.

Mothers are advised to take folic acid at least one month before becoming pregnant and continue regularly during pregnancy.