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Birth Defect: Child
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Birth defects may be found in isolation or they may occur in combination in one child, as part of a larger syndrome. A syndrome is usually defined as the presence of three or more birth defects due to one underlying cause, that characterize a particular disease or condition. An example of this is Down syndrome.
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Alcohol is the most commonly used drug that causes birth defects. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a term used to describe the typical birth defects (learning disabilities, mental retardation, irritability, hyperactivity, poor coordination, and abnormalities of facial features) caused by maternal alcohol use. This early vulnerability of the developing baby has serious consequences. A woman might not be aware that she is several weeks pregnant and might unknowingly expose her unborn child to the affects of medicines, X-rays, recreational drugs, or alcohol during this most vulnerable period.
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Apart from causing death during childbirth, birth defects bring a much heavier economic burden than even infectious diseases. The annual cost of Down's syndrome cases, for example, is nearly 2 billion yuan (US$240 million), according to experts.
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