During pregnancy, the fetus can develop several congenital abnormalities that can affect the baby’s health, causing changes in the structure and function of many organs. Let’s take a look at 4 common types of congenital abnormalities in newborns that parents should know through the following article.
1 Patau syndrome
Patau syndrome, also known as Trisomy 13, is associated with abnormal development of the chromosomes. The risk of the condition increases based on the mother’s age, with an incidence rate of 1 in 5,000 babies.
A normal fetus has 23 pairs of chromosomes, but when affected by this syndrome, the pair of chromosome 13 has an extra chromosome. This can cause abnormalities in the brain, head, face, genital organs, heart, limbs.
Usually, when affected by Patau syndrome, the fetus dies in the womb or within the first year of life. Some milder cases may survive beyond the first year.
Therefore, pregnant women should undergo tests and screening from the 10th to 14th week of pregnancy to ensure safety.
Patau syndrome
2 Edwards syndrome
Edwards syndrome, also known as Trisomy 18, occurs when an extra chromosome is present in the pair of chromosome 18, causing developmental abnormalities. Babies affected by this syndrome rarely survive after birth or die in the womb. The incidence rate of this syndrome can range from 1 in 4,000 to 1 in 8,000 babies.
Babies with this syndrome have characteristics such as premature birth, low birth weight, pointed ears, long and large skull, narrow forehead, small mouth,… Apart from that, the heart, genital organs, abdomen, and limbs can also have abnormalities.
Nowadays, this condition can be detected early through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.
Edwards syndrome
3 Down syndrome
Down syndrome, also known as Trisomy 21, occurs due to an extra chromosome in the pair of chromosome 21, called trisomy 21. If a mother gives birth to a baby with this syndrome, the risk of the condition occurring in subsequent children also increases.
If the mother is older, the risk of the baby having the condition also increases, or if it is inherited from the parents carrying the genes related to this syndrome, it can be passed on to the child.
This syndrome greatly affects the normal physical and mental development of a child. The child may have delayed speech, low IQ, short stature, short limbs, small head, protruding lips,…
Down syndrome
4 Thalassemia or congenital hemolytic anemia
Thalassemia or congenital hemolytic anemia is a condition with a high mortality rate if a child is affected. This disease is genetically inherited. The child is usually born with anemia but has an excess of iron in the body, so lifelong blood transfusion and iron chelation may be required.
The child will have symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, bloated abdomen, weak physique, jaundice, dark urine,…although the child can live into adulthood, the ability to start a family is very rare.
Thalassemia or congenital hemolytic anemia
Above is information about 4 common syndromes in newborns that cause prenatal deformities and have a significant impact on the child’s health. Hopefully, the information above will help parents understand more about the diseases and find ways to prevent them.
Source: Education and Era Newspaper
Parents, never hit your child, no matter how angry you are.
A few parents resort to hitting their children on the back and buttocks, despite the vulnerability of the back. The spinal column, which forms the backbone of our bodies, is located at the back.
