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Birth Defect: Disease Control
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Many birth defects can actually be avoided, according to An Huanxiao, director of the Shanxi Provincial Family Planning Commission. For example, if pregnant women were advised to take mineral and vitamin supplements, this could prevent diseases in the baby such as caused by iodine deficiency and nerve and brain stem damage.
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About 20 percent of birth defects are caused by genetic or hereditary factors. Every human body cell contains 46 chromosomes, and each chromosome contains thousands of genes. Each gene contains a blueprint that controls development or function of a particular body part. People who have either too many or too few chromosomes will therefore receive a scrambled message regarding body development and function.
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Certain diseases and physical or functional abnormalities that are present in an infant at the time of birth are called birth defects. The term applies to abnormalities that arise during the development of the fetus, often within the first eight weeks after conception, when the embryo acquires its essential form (see Embryology).
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Some birth defects might remain silent for many years. For example, Huntington disease is an inherited condition in which affected persons live normal lives for decades. Then, during middle age, they develop dementia and loss of control of their arms and legs.
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