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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that birth defects affect up to 3 percent of infants born each year. However, many of these anomalies are easily corrected using surgical procedures. If your baby is diagnosed with one of the following conditions, know that treatment is possible.
In This Post:
1) Cleft Lip
Approximately 1 out of 750 infants are born with a cleft lip. The anomaly may occur alone or in combination with a cleft palate. Lip reparation commonly takes place with the infant reaches 10 weeks of age, weighs 10 pounds and has a hemoglobin level of 10. Babies born with this type of deformity must undergo examination to determine possible underlying conditions.
2) Cleft Palate
One in 1,574 infants are born with this disorder. Plans for surgical repair often begin shortly after birth. Slight and moderate clefts require uncomplicated closure. More severe cases require an alveolar arch alignment, a pharyngeal flap, bone grafting and possibly future orthodontic work. Reparation is often needed to enable normal swallowing ability along with nasal and Eustachian tube function. In some instances, surgical corrections are needed as the child grows to enhance speech ability.
3) Microtia and Anotia
Microtia refers to a condition whereby one or both exterior ears are smaller than usual. The affliction is typically graded from one to four. The term anotia refers to the condition in which the entire exterior ear is absent. Statistics indicate that the number of babies born with the problem ranges from less than 1 in 10,000 to 5 in 10,000. Hearing tests after birth determine the possibility of an internal defect. Corrective surgery of the exterior ear generally occurs when the child reaches four to 10 years of age.
4) Hand Malformations
The number of babies born with hand defects averages around 30 out of 10,000 births. The more common malformations include webbed fingers, extra fingers, missing fingers, short fingers and crooked fingers. Abnormalities that include webbed fingers also may accompany other organ or tissue defects. Surgical repair initially focuses on providing the child with normal hand functions. Cosmetic concerns are usually secondary.
5) Vascular Lesions
One to three percent of infants are born with minor vascular abnormalities known as hemangiomas or lymphangiomas. Sometimes, the lesions do not appear until one or more months later. Minor lesions often resolve on their own without the need for medical intervention. However, larger, more complex lesions are disfiguring and can be life-threatening depending on the site of the occurrence. Laser removal is commonly the course of treatment. Visit or contact a hospital like Shriners Hospitals for Children if you have any questions about these conditions. Many types of abnormalities have a genetic influence. However, with the advancements made in cosmetic surgery the majority are easily remedied so that children may live normal lives without fear of self-consciousness or discomfort.