Congenital Anomalies & Their Incidence Rates Wadie Waterman In General Congenital anomalies are also known as birth defects About 3-4% of babies are born with congenital anomalies Most occur due to environmental and genetic factors Often the causes are unknown Many parents assume that all birth defects are severe or even fatal, but the fact is that many are treatable, often immediately after birth and sometimes even before the baby is born. Genetic and Environmental Causes Inheritance Chromosome abnormalities Single gene defects Multifactorial inheritance (many factors involved) Teratogens (a birth defect causing agent like alcohol abuse) Most Common Cleft lip and palate Can occur separately on in conjunction with one another Unilateral or bilateral Occur 1 per every births Most Common Syndactyly & polydactyly Syndactyly occurs when a newborns digits fail to separate, resulting in webbed hands or feet Polydactyly is the complete or partial duplication of digits Most Common Radial Dysplasia & Hyperplasia clubhand Failure of the radius and adjacent soft tissues to fully develop Congenital Heart Defects Approximately 8 out of every 1,000 newborns have congenital heart defects, ranging from mild to severe. Result in incomplete or abnormal development of the fetus heart during very early stages of pregnancy. Usually causes are unknown but can be associated with genetic disorders. Common ones: Aortic Stenosis Atrial Septal Defect Atrioventricular Canal Defect Coarction of the Aorta Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Pulmonary Atresia Pulmonary Stenosis Congenital Brain Defects Spina Bifida Meningomyelocele Hydroencephalus Schizencephaly (split brain) Megalencephaly