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Did Your Newborn Suffer Cerebral
Palsy or Another Brain Injury Before
or During Labor and Delivery?
Get a FREE guide of resources available throughout Ohio to children and families of children who were born with brain injuries.
Our guide can help you build a foundation of knowledge and tools that will help you help your child
now and in the future.
Most babies born in the US are healthy. However, a small percentage of newborns may be diagnosed with a birth defect. Some of these health issues may go away on their own in time, but others will require surgery or treatment. Still others are permanent, and the parents must learn how to adapt.
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Also known as a functional birth defects, this type of defect is diagnosed when a body part is malformed or missing. One of the most common and easiest to recognize is the cleft palate or cleft lip. When this happens, there is a split on the lip or an opening on the roof of the mouth. It requires surgery to correct this defect. Until then, the baby may have difficulty nursing.
Clubfoot is another type of structural defect. The foot points inward to the other foot instead of facing forward. Spina bifida is a birth defect which means the spinal cord didn’t develop completely. This condition can affect the baby’s movements. Heart defects are the most common type of structural birth defect. They can range from minor to serious, often requiring surgery right away.
Functional birth defects are also known as developmental, which means a certain body part doesn’t work normally. Most common in this category is a mental developmental delay. Others may cause physical delays or issues with the nervous system or sensory problems. For instance, Down syndrome is one of the most common types of functional defects, which causes a delay in both mental development and physical ability.
Cystic fibrosis results in damage to the lungs as well as to the digestive system. Sickle cell disease is another birth defect which causes the red blood cells to become altered in shape.
Many children show no signs of birth defects when they are born if they don’t impact the formation of the body. It is only as they grow and parents discover they can’t perform certain tasks or meet milestones at the correct time that there is a problem.
Some birth defects can be detected before the baby is even born. Prenatal care is essential in diagnosing these conditions before birth. The doctor will often recommend ultrasounds, which can help them detect certain types of abnormalities. They may also want to do blood tests or an amniocentesis, which is taking a small sample of amniotic fluid. They can study these tests to determine if the baby has any abnormalities while in the womb. Doctors request these tests based on certain factors that make the pregnancy high risk. This includes being an older mother, a family history of birth defects or a history of smoking or taking drugs.
In other cases, the doctor can identify defects at birth. They will perform a physical examination and conduct blood tests, which will provide information about certain abnormalities.
If a birth defect is diagnosed, it may be treated before the baby is born or shortly after birth. Other conditions must be treated or managed with surgery, medication and home care.
Also known as a functional birth defects, this type of defect is diagnosed when a body part is malformed or missing. One of the most common and easiest to recognize is the cleft palate or cleft lip. When this happens, there is a split on the lip or an opening on the roof of the mouth. It requires surgery to correct this defect. Until then, the baby may have difficulty nursing.
Clubfoot is another type of structural defect. The foot points inward to the other foot instead of facing forward. Spina bifida is a birth defect which means the spinal cord didn’t develop completely. This condition can affect the baby’s movements. Heart defects are the most common type of structural birth defect. They can range from minor to serious, often requiring surgery right away.
Functional birth defects are also known as developmental, which means a certain body part doesn’t work normally. Most common in this category is a mental developmental delay. Others may cause physical delays or issues with the nervous system or sensory problems. For instance, Down syndrome is one of the most common types of functional defects, which causes a delay in both mental development and physical ability.
Cystic fibrosis results in damage to the lungs as well as to the digestive system. Sickle cell disease is another birth defect which causes the red blood cells to become altered in shape.
Many children show no signs of birth defects when they are born if they don’t impact the formation of the body. It is only as they grow and parents discover they can’t perform certain tasks or meet milestones at the correct time that there is a problem.
Some birth defects can be detected before the baby is even born. Prenatal care is essential in diagnosing these conditions before birth. The doctor will often recommend ultrasounds, which can help them detect certain types of abnormalities. They may also want to do blood tests or an amniocentesis, which is taking a small sample of amniotic fluid. They can study these tests to determine if the baby has any abnormalities while in the womb. Doctors request these tests based on certain factors that make the pregnancy high risk. This includes being an older mother, a family history of birth defects or a history of smoking or taking drugs.
In other cases, the doctor can identify defects at birth. They will perform a physical examination and conduct blood tests, which will provide information about certain abnormalities.
If a birth defect is diagnosed, it may be treated before the baby is born or shortly after birth. Other conditions must be treated or managed with surgery, medication and home care.