Birth Defects

A birth defect is a mental or physical problem that results in an error in the way bone, brain, skin or tissue developed. A disorder may or may not be inherited, ie. passed from parent to child through genes and chromosomes.

Follow the links below to find information about birth defects, including cleft lip and palate, spina bifida, congenital heart defects and syndromes.

For individual disorders and syndromes, follow the links to the specific topic pages below.

Reviewed March 2009

 

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Related HealthInsite Topics

Chromosome Defects
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information about chromosome defects, including Down Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome.
Cleft Lip and Palate
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information on cleft lip and palate.
Congenital Heart Defects
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information about congenital heart defects.
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information about foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
Marfan Syndrome
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information on Marfan Syndrome.
Spina Bifida
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information about spina bifida, which is a neural tube defect.
Urogenital Defects
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information about birth defects that effect the urinary and genital systems.

74 Resources Found
Results 1 to 20 displayed.
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Title:   Teeth - gapped teeth
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   In many cases gapped front teeth in the upper jaw close by themselves. Fraenula are strings of tissue found underneath the tongue, inside the cheeks near the back molars, and under the top lip. The top lip fraenum can cause gapped teeth if it attaches too low on the gum. Whether or not an abnormal fraenum should be surgically removed is controversial.
Date:   Nov 2009

Title:   Club foot
Publisher:   Child and Youth Health - CYH (South Australia)
Description:   What is commonly known as club foot happens to a small number of children. The correct name is congenital talipes equino varus (CTEV).
Date:   Nov 2009

Title:   Rubella - myDr.com.au
Publisher:   myDr
Description:   Rubella (also called German measles) is generally a mild illness caused by a virus, but it can cause birth defects if pregnant women become infected.
Date:   Oct 2009

Title:   First trimester screening
Publisher:   Department of Health Western Australia
Description:   Screening algorithm to detect fetal abnormalities early in pregnancy.
Date:   Aug 2009

Title:   Antenatal Hydronephrosis
Publisher:   Department of Health Western Australia
Description:   Diagnostic imaging algorithm for antenatally detected hydronephrosis.
Date:   Jul 2009

Title:   Vietnam veterans' children support program
Publisher:   Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs
Description:   Information about the Vietnam Veterans' Children Support Program which has been established to assist eligible Vietnam Veterans, and their families.
Date:   Jul 2009

Title:   Antibiotics for brain abscesses in people with cyanotic congenital heart disease
Publisher:   John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:   Serious congenital heart disease leads to abnormal blood flow through the heart and lungs. This results in an inability to carry enough oxygen around the body which makes patients blue (cyanotic) and severely limits their physical activity. People with ...
Date:   Jul 2009

Title:   Amniocentesis
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   Amniocentesis can detect foetal abnormalities such as Down's syndrome, cystic fibrosis or spina bifida. A small amount of amniotic fluid is withdrawn from the sac in the uterus surrounding a foetus. Possible risks include infection, injury to the baby or miscarriage.
Date:   Jun 2009

Title:   Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) tests in pregnancy - myDr.com.au
Publisher:   myDr
Description:   An alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) test is a blood test that can show whether your fetus has signs of some birth defects, in particular, spina bifida (a type of neural tube defect).
Date:   Jun 2009

Title:   Developmental hip dysplasia explained
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) means the hip joint of a newborn baby is dislocated or prone to dislocation. DDH is more common in girls than boys. Treatment includes special harnesses (Pavlik harness), or operations and splints.
Date:   May 2009

Title:   Could it harm my baby?
Publisher:   Child and Youth Health - CYH (South Australia)
Description:   Questions are often asked about possible effects of things like medicines, drugs, herbal products, hair dyes and insect sprays on an unborn baby.
Date:   May 2009

Title:   Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
Publisher:   Child and Youth Health - CYH (South Australia)
Description:   Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is one of a number of tests that can be used to detect some birth defects in pregnancy.
Date:   Apr 2009

Title:   Congenital heart defects - myDr.com.au
Publisher:   myDr
Description:   While some congenital heart defects are serious, many produce no problems throughout life. Find out more.
Date:   Apr 2009

Title:   Screening tests for neural tube defects
Publisher:   Child and Youth Health - CYH (South Australia)
Description:   Tests can be done to work out the chance that your baby has a neural tube defect (eg spina bifida).
Date:   Apr 2009

Title:   Tongue-tie
Publisher:   Child and Youth Health - CYH (South Australia)
Description:   There are widely differing views about tongue-tie, its effects on feeding (especially breastfeeding) and speech, and whether and how it should be treated.
Date:   Mar 2009

Title:   Breastfeeding - when babies won't feed
Publisher:   Child and Youth Health - CYH (South Australia)
Description:   Some new babies take a while to learn how to attach to the breast and feed effectively. Others feed well at first, then become fussy. These problems can be very distressing; seek help if these ideas do not help.
Date:   Mar 2009

Title:   Hearing problems in children
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   Hearing problems in children can be caused by factors including otitis media (infection of the middle ear), exposure to disease in utero such as rubella (German measles), genetic disorders, exposure to loud noise, and certain diseases including meningitis. Deafness may be temporary or permanent. Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is a symptom of hearing damage. Treatment may include antibiotics, removal of wax or foreign object in the ear, hearing aids or speech therapy. A cochlear implant may be considered in the case of severe or profound hearing loss.
Date:   Jan 2009

Title:   Magnesium sulphate for women at risk of preterm birth for neuroprotection of the fetus
Publisher:   John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:   Magnesium sulphate given to women at risk of preterm birth helps to protect the baby's brain and improve long-term outcomes....
Date:   Nov 2008

Title:   Neural tube defects in Australia: an epidemiological report
Publisher:   Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Description:   This report describes the prevalence and trends of neural tube defects (NTD) in Australia during the past decade. An estimated prevalence of NTD among pregnancies is presented based on the information from states that collect near complete data on NTD.
Date:   Nov 2008

Title:   Heart disorders (acquired) children
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   Some children develop a heart problem after an illness. This is called an acquired heart defect. The four main types of acquired heart defect are Kawasaki disease, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy and rheumatic heart disease. All children with heart defects should be given antibiotics when they have teeth removed or when they have other surgery which involves the mouth, nose, intestinal organs or genito-urinary systems. Bacteria may enter the bloodstream during these procedures and can cause serious infection (known as infective endocarditis) in the abnormal part of the heart.
Date:   Oct 2008
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