Treatment of Common Birth Defects/ Abnormalities in Children

Birth defects primarily occur in the babies when they develop into the uterus and they can be minor or severe depending on the specific abnormality. The defects can affect the organ functioning, appearance, physical and mental development of the baby. According to the best child hospital in Agra , certain birth defects are present in the first three months of pregnancy, when the organ formation takes place. Although certain birth defects are harmless, some require long-term medical treatment to cure the defect.

Common birth abnormalities are as follows:

The birth defects can be classified into developmental, structural, and functional.

Structural defects: These are the defects in which a particular part of the body is missing or malformed. For instance, heart defects, cleft lip or cleft palate, spina bifida, and clubfoot are some of the examples of such defects.

Functional/ Developmental defects: In these types of abnormalities, there is an inability of a body part or system to work properly. The disabilities of intelligence or development are common and include defects related to the nervous system, sensory, metabolic defects, etc. For example, down syndrome, sickle cell disease, and cystic fibrosis.

Diagnosis of birth defects Various birth defects can be diagnosed during the pregnancy by gynecologists using prenatal ultrasounds. In case, ultrasounds are not able to reveal such defects, the best child hospital in Agra , recommends more in-depth screening options such as blood tests and taking a sample of amniotic fluid. Women with a high-risk pregnancy or who have conceived in later years, babies of such mothers are more prone to birth defects. Although there are latest and advanced techniques for screening in most cases, most birth defects are diagnosed after the birth of the baby takes place.

Major treatments for birth defects The treatment of birth disorders depends on the underlying condition and the severity of the condition. Some defects can be treated before birth or right after birth. Some defects can affect the child for their entire life such as cerebral palsy or spina bifida. These kinds of abnormalities lead to long-term disability and in extreme cases, they can also cause death. In less severe cases, the condition persists but does not affect the overall quality of life. Medication and surgery are the major treatment approaches. The best neonatologist in Agra explains that for low-risk birth defects, medications can be given to the mother to help correct the abnormality before the birth of the child. In case the child is born and especially in case of structural or physical birth defects like cleft lip and cleft palate, the baby can undergo plastic surgery. Apart from this, babies with heart abnormalities are also recommended to undergo surgery.