Digging around congenital abnormalities in newborns

Adults and seniors (seniors) generally have a high enough risk for disease. But in fact, newborn babies also have the same risk of developing disease. In newborns, this condition is known as a congenital abnormality, aka congenital defect. To be clearer, let's peel thoroughly about congenital abnormalities in newborns through this review!

What are congenital abnormalities in babies?

Congenital abnormalities or congenital defects in babies are structural abnormalities at birth that can be experienced by all or some parts of the body.

The heart, brain, feet, hands, and eyes are some examples of body parts that can experience congenital defects.

Meanwhile, according to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, congenital abnormalities are structural and functional abnormalities that are recognized since a newborn.

Congenital abnormalities or congenital defects in newborns can affect how the baby looks, how the baby's body works, or both.

There are various kinds of birth defects that can occur alone or together. Various congenital abnormalities or birth defects in these babies have varying degrees of severity from mild, moderate, even severe or severe.

The health condition of a baby with birth defects usually depends on the organ or body part involved and the severity of it.

What causes congenital abnormalities in babies?

Congenital defects in babies do not just happen suddenly when they are newborn. Like all things that have a process, this congenital defect in babies has also started to form since the little one is still in the womb.

Basically, this congenital abnormality can occur at all stages of pregnancy, be it the first trimester, second trimester, or third trimester.

However, most congenital defects usually begin in the trimester of the first one or three months of pregnancy.

This is because one month of gestation to three months of gestation is the time for the formation of various organs of the baby's body.

Even so, the process of forming congenital defects in babies can occur not only in the first trimester, but also in the second and third trimester.

In fact, during the last six months of pregnancy, aka the second and third trimester, all tissues and organs of the baby's body will continue to develop.

During this time the baby in the womb is still at risk of developing congenital defects. Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the actual cause of birth defects is not known with certainty.

There are several things that are related to each other that can cause birth defects in babies. These various things include genetic factors that are passed on from parent to child and environmental factors during pregnancy.

In other words, congenital abnormalities in babies can occur when the father, mother, or other family members experience congenital defects at birth.

What are the risk factors for congenital abnormalities in babies?

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

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 defects later.

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

Therefore, always consult with your doctor about the health condition of you and your baby during pregnancy and the efforts that can be made to reduce the risk of birth defects.

What are the types of congenital abnormalities in babies?

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

However, here are some congenital abnormalities in babies that are quite common:

1. Cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy or cerebral palsy is a disorder that affects the body's movements, muscles and nerves. This congenital defect condition can be caused by damage to the brain because it has not developed properly when the baby is in the womb.

Symptoms of cerebral palsy

Symptoms of cerebral palsy or cerebral palsy in infants can actually be grouped based on their age. However, in general, the symptoms of cerebral palsy are as follows:

Late baby development
Abnormal muscle movement
Looks different when carried or lifted from a lying position
The baby's body does not roll over
Babies have difficulty crawling and use their knees to crawl.
The movement of the arms and legs looks abnormal
The coordination of the baby's body muscles has problems
The baby's way of walking looks abnormal because the legs are crossed or straddled

Cerebral palsy treatment

Treatment for babies or children with cerebral palsy usually includes administering drugs, surgery, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.

Although it cannot be completely cured, various treatments and measures for cerebral palsy can help improve the symptoms.

Giving treatment for congenital cerebral palsy in infants and children is generally not done alone or only one of them.

Instead, doctors will usually combine several treatments at once to relieve the appearance of symptoms while supporting the growth and development of your baby.

2. Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus is a congenital birth defect when the head circumference of a baby enlarges more than normal.

Congenital abnormalities of hydrocephalus in newborns are caused by the presence of hydrocephalus fluid that accumulates in the brain cavity.

Symptoms of hydrocephalus

The symptoms of hydrocephalus experienced by newborns are usually slightly different from those of toddlers and children. The following are various symptoms of hydrocephalus in infants, toddlers and children:

Symptoms of hydrocephalus in newborns

Some of the symptoms of hydrocephalus in babies are:

The size of the head circumference is very large
The size of the head circumference gets bigger in a short time
There is an abnormally soft lump on the top of the head (fontanelle)
Gag
Easily sleepy
Eyes pointing downward
Stunted body growth
Weakened body muscles

Symptoms of hydrocephalus in toddlers and children

Some of the symptoms of hydrocephalus in toddlers and children are:

Eyes glued down
Headache
Nausea and vomiting
The body is sluggish and looks sleepy
Body spasm
Poor coordination of body muscles
The facial structure changes
It's hard to concentrate
Experiencing impaired cognitive abilities

Hydrocephalus treatment

There are two types of treatment for congenital hydrocephalus in infants, namely the shunt system and ventriculostomy. The shunt system is the most common treatment for congenital hydrocephalus.

The shunt system involves inserting a catheter into the brain to remove excess cerebrospinal fluid.

While a ventriculostomy is performed using an endoscope or a small camera to monitor conditions in the brain.

After that, the doctor will make a small hole in the brain so that excess cerebrospinal fluid can be removed from the brain.

3. Cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a congenital condition or congenital defect in newborns that causes damage to the digestive system, lungs, and other organs of the body.

Babies with cystic fibrosis or cystic fibrosis usually have difficulty breathing and lung infections due to mucus obstruction. The mucus blockage can also cause the digestive system to work disturbed.

Symptoms of cystic fibrosis

Various symptoms of cystic fibrosis or cystic fibrosis are:

Coughing up mucus
Gasping breath
Have recurrent lung infections
Nasal congestion and inflammation
Baby feces or feces smell foul and greasy
The baby's growth and weight do not increase
Often experience constipation or constipation
The rectum protrudes beyond the anus from pushing too hard

Cystic fibrosis treatment

Actually there is no treatment that can completely cure cystic fibrosis. However, providing proper treatment can help improve symptoms of cystic fibrosis.

Treatment of cystic fibrosis generally includes taking medication, taking antibiotics, chest therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy, use of tubes while eating, and others.

The doctor will adjust the treatment for congenital fibrostic cystic disorders in infants according to the severity of the condition.

4. Spina bifida

Spina bifida is a congenital disorder when the spine and the nerves in it don't form properly in a newborn.

Symptoms of spina bifida

Symptoms of spina bifida can be distinguished by type, namely occult, meningocele, and myelomeningocele.

In the occult type, the symptoms of spina bifida include the presence of a crest and appearing dimples or birthmarks on the affected part of the body.

In contrast to the symptoms of spina bifida meningocele, which is characterized by a fluid-filled sac appearing on the back.

Meanwhile, the myelomeningocele type has symptoms in the form of a fluid-filled sac and nerve fibers in the back, head enlargement, cognitive changes, and back pain.

Spina bifida treatment

Treatment for congenital or congenital defects of spina bifida in newborns will be adjusted according to its severity.

The occult bifida spida type usually does not require treatment, but the meningocele and myelomeningocele types require treatment.

The treatment that doctors give to treat spina bifida includes pre-birth surgery, caesarean delivery procedures, and performing postpartum surgery.

5. Cleft lip

Cleft lip is a congenital abnormality or congenital defect in newborns that causes the upper lip of the baby not to blend properly.

Symptoms of cleft lip

Cleft lip in babies will be easily visible when he is new born. With the condition of the lips and palate that are not perfect, babies will usually experience several symptoms of cleft lip, including:

It's hard to swallow
Nasal sound when talking
Ear infections that happened several times

Cleft lip treatment

Cleft lip treatment in babies can be done by surgery or surgery. The goal of cleft lip surgery is to improve the shape of the lips and palate.

How to diagnose congenital abnormalities in babies?

There are various types of congenital abnormalities or birth defects in babies that can be diagnosed from pregnancy. 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 make sure more clearly about the presence of congenital abnormalities in newborns by conducting a physical examination.

On the other hand, blood tests or screening tests after birth 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 birth defect until symptoms appear at a later date.

So, it's good to always pay attention if various unusual symptoms appear during your little one's development. Immediately consult your baby to the doctor to get the appropriate diagnosis and treatment.