Many pregnant mums constantly worry about the health and wellbeing of their unborn babies.
With the rise of congenital and neurodevelopmental disorders, it’s become all the more important to be vigilant about birth defects and developmental delays.
But with the right education and intervention, even special needs kids can continue living full and happy lives.
We sat down with Dr Azrai a fertility specialist, and consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist from Hospital University of Kebangsaan Malaysia to answer all our questions on baby birth defects and child development disorders.
Q1: What are the differences between birth defects and developmental disorders in children?
A birth defect is a physical or structural abnormality that is present at birth and can affect various parts of the body. It can be the heart, the brain, the limbs and the organs.
On the other hand, a developmental delay refers to the inability of a child to reach the proper milestones at the expected age.
Examples include crawling, walking, talking and socialising.
The main difference is that birth defects are typically physical abnormalities present at birth.
While developmental disorders are just a form of delayed development that may or may not be apparent at birth.
Question 2: What are the main causes of birth defects? And how common is it?
Unfortunately, 70% of birth defects have no known cause.
But the remaining that we can identify are related to genetics, environmental factors, nutrition or any pregnancy-related disease.
Or a combination of all these factors.
Most babies with birth defects can even be born to two parents with no known health problem or risk.
But many birth defects can be diagnosed before the birth with tests.
Birth defects in general can affect up to one in every 33 babies in the United States. The incidence of birth defects is highly correlational with the age of the woman.
If the woman is more than 35, the majority of the cases that we see birth defects is rated one in 200 or 250 of the women will be affected.
Prospective mothers should understand that the longer they delay pregnancy, the higher the risk of their babies having birth defects.
When it comes to conceiving, the younger the better. Because we categorise those 35 and over as being in the advanced age group.
Many women may put off motherhood in this career-booming stage.
But it’s important to know that getting pregnant at an advanced age will put you at risk of diabetes, hypertension and also with birth defects.
That said, there are some common birth defects that babies suffer from.
The first is heart defect and this can be up to one in 100 babies and it can range from a mild deformity to very severe deformities.
The second one is about neural tube defect.
These are defects occurring in the babies where it got to the neural tubes, which forms the baby brain and spinal cord.
An example of this is spinal bifida and anencephaly.
The third one is cleft lips and palate.
These examples are more structural defects which can occur because of the lips and the palate have not joined together properly in the womb.
Another kind of structural defect is when the baby’s feet doesn’t form properly.
We call this condition a clubfoot, which occurs about one in 1000 of new-borns.
Sometimes the reason for this deformity is not very clear.
It can be related to environmental factors or it could also be the result of insufficient foetal liquor (amniotic fluid).
One of the more worrying birth defects that a lot of mothers are most familiar with is of course, Down syndrome, which is genetic condition related to the abnormality in chromosome 21.
Down syndrome comes with a lot of physical and intellectual disabilities.
When it comes to addressing birth defects, we will usually screen the mothers within the at-risk group.
For example, if you are 35, there are a few screening tests for you to undergo.
These tests will then allow us to determine whether the at higher risk or lower risk for developing any congenital anomalies such as Down syndrome.
One unfortunate thing to note is that healthy parents can still give birth to babies with birth defects.
A foetus can still develop congenital anomalies even with a clean family history. One instance is if the father’s sperm quality is low and if there’s some DNA damage.
If we suspect the baby of having a birth defect, we will perform confirmation tests.
Q3: How are birth defects treated?
Treatment option varies on the condition of the birth defect.
So, birth defects can actually be corrected before the birth or shortly after. However, other birth defects can also be temporary until the baby reaches a certain age.
Medication can be used to treat some birth defects. This is to lower the risk of complications that arise from the condition.
In some cases, the medication prescribed to the mother will help to correct any abnormality before birth.
Corrective surgery can also be employed. This will help address any superficial defects or ease any harmful symptoms.
This includes the cleft lip mentioned earlier and heart defects.
Home care is part of the treatment strategy instructed to parents whose child has been diagnosed with a birth defect.
These include instruction for feeding, how to bathe and how to monitor your child’s birth defects.
Q4: What are child development disorders? Can you share some examples?
Developmental disorders are sometimes referred to as childhood disorder which includes any physical or brain-based conditions.
These are disorders that affect the child’s progress as they grow and develop necessary life skills.
There are a few subtypes of these developmental disorders.
These include mobility, any biological functions, cognition, symptoms of the learning, in terms of the language, social skills.
These are sometimes diagnosed at birth but sometimes even doctors fail to identify the symptoms.
It is only when the child grows a little bit older that we can confirm whether they are delayed or otherwise.
Sometimes the delays are mild, and sometimes they may be more severe.
One condition that immediately comes to mind when we talk about developmental delays is autism.
So, autism is a type of neurodevelopmental disorders which falls into many categories.
For more severe cases, the autistic child may have trouble communication, restrictions on the presence and other abnormal behaviours.
Another well-known neurodevelopmental condition is ADHD, which is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
This disorder is characterised by problem with concentration and organisation. Other symptoms include hyperactivity, impulsiveness and abnormal behaviours in response to external stimuli.
Q5: How do I know if my child has a developmental disorder?
This is a very tough question for me to answer, because these are things that not all mothers can accept.
But I do have some advice to help parents know for sure if their child is born with abnormalities. This will allow them to take the appropriate next steps.
So, one of the red flags to watch out for is ‘regression’.
This means that when it comes to speech, fine motor or any previously learned skill, the child’s progress stops, or worsens overtime.
This includes delays in reaching milestones. Which you can confirm with the help of doctors or staff nurses using a developmental assessment.
If you see any of these early signs, send them for a checkup as soon as possible so we can give a proper diagnosis.
Another thing to look for in some children is any signs of atypical behaviour.
This can include attention problems where they don’t respond when you call them or say their name.
There are also other kinds of abnormal behaviour. For instance, lining up toys rather than playing with other kids, not responding when called and not maintaining eye contact.
Or abnormal movements like hand-flapping and walking on their tiptoes. Along with any rigid routine that a normal kids should be able to do but is difficult for your child.
If you notice any of the above, please be aware of it.
And if your child is having trouble with their development, it’s important to get a doctor to check them. Not only for diagnosis but also for treatment.
We’ve been focusing a lot on immunisations these past few years. Urging parents to vaccinate their children.
But now it’s time to educate parents on developmental delays as well, especially those who live in non-developed areas.
Many rural communities don’t have convenient access to medical facilities and such.
As a result, a majority of those kids living in those areas do not get the properly diagnosed for their condition.
So, these are the types of children who should be getting a proper assessment to identify any delays, or abnormal behaviour so we can prescribe the necessary medical intervention.
With early intervention and the right support, we can help the children with developmental disorders to thrive.
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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