A defective child is born every 30 seconds! Why do babies have birth defects? How to prevent?

A mother said this in the group.

They decided to have a second child this year, because during the first child, the couple had undergone a comprehensive physical examination and were very healthy, and the eldest was in good health, so the second child was relatively healthy. Relax, nothing unusual in the first few months of pregnancy. Until the large row of deformities, the child was found to be congenital cleft lip and palate.

The husband and wife couldn’t figure out why the husband and wife and Dabao were both healthy, and there was no family inheritance in this regard. How could this happen to Erbao?

This mother’s post has resonated with many mothers in the group, especially some pregnant mothers who have just been pregnant for a long time. The health of the baby is worrying.

Why does this question arise? After reading this article, you may know the answer.

According to statistics, there are about 900,000 new birth defect babies in my country every year, which means that every 30 seconds on average, one defective baby is born, which is a shocking number.

Children are the hearts and minds of their parents, and in the face of their heart-wrenching defects, parents are both suffering and puzzled. It is clear that the husband and wife are healthy, so why is the baby unhealthy?

We must first analyze this problem from the causes of birth defects. At present, there are three main causes of birth defects:

Genetic factors

Birth defects caused by genetic factors include chromosomal disorders and single-gene disorders.

In ordinary people, 1% of human chromosomes are abnormal. They may not have abnormal chromosomes themselves, but in the process of creating human beings, there may be abnormal chromosomes in embryos, resulting in the birth of babies. defective.

Some diseases are hereditary diseases. Although both parents are normal, but both carry a certain disease gene, it is possible to pass the disease gene to the child and show it. This is where the parents are healthy and the children are sick.

nutrient deficiencies

Lack of nutrition during pregnancy can also lead to birth defects in babies. For example, insufficient folic acid supplementation during pregnancy can cause neural tube defects in babies, as well as other defects such as cleft lip and palate, congenital heart disease, etc.

Parents’ unhealthy lifestyle

Parents’ unhealthy lifestyles, such as smoking and drinking, exposure to toxic and harmful substances during pregnancy, such as absorbents, formaldehyde, etc.; infection with rubella, herpes simplex and other viruses during pregnancy, and irrational drug use during pregnancy, etc. increases the chance of having a defective baby.

These three factors are the main cause of birth defects, but other factors can also cause birth defects in babies, such as advanced childbirth and other unknown causes.

How to prevent birth defects

The key to reducing the number of babies born with defects is prevention, followed by early detection and early treatment.

At present, my country mainly adopts three-level preventive measures. This is based on the theory of birth defect management, which controls birth defects from three key periods, namely pre-conception, pregnancy and postpartum.

1. Preconception

Before planning to have a child, both husband and wife must go to a regular hospital for consultation on pregnancy-related knowledge, conduct medical examinations and pre-pregnancy examinations, make pre-pregnancy assessments, and prepare scientifically for pregnancy according to the doctor’s requirements.

Folic acid should be supplemented before pregnancy. At the same time, the couple should quit smoking and drinking six months before conception, maintain a healthy lifestyle and regular work and rest, and stay away from harmful environments.

2. Pregnancy

Ensure adequate and scientific nutrition throughout pregnancy, and follow doctor’s orders to take reasonable medication. Prenatal check-ups are even more essential. Prenatal check-ups should be done according to the time and requirements during pregnancy, as well as other checks required by doctors, such as prenatal diagnosis of high-risk pregnant mothers.

3. Postpartum

Newborn screening should be carried out in time after the baby is born, and the defects of the baby should be diagnosed early. If there is a problem, the best treatment time should be selected for scientific and effective intervention or treatment.

Healthy parents do not necessarily have healthy children. The health of a child is closely related to genetic factors, parents’ environmental factors, and lifestyle.

The tertiary prevention from preconception to postpartum can prevent most birth defects. Parents who are planning to conceive must take preventive measures under the guidance of doctors to give birth to a healthy baby.