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.

65 Resources Found
Results 1 to 20 displayed.
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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:   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:   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:   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:   Mar 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:   Dec 2008

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:   Congenital torticollis
Publisher:   Child and Youth Health - CYH (South Australia)
Description:   About 1 in 200 babies have torticollis, a shortening of a muscle in the neck causing their head to tilt to one side. The muscle affected is called the sterno-cleido-mastoid muscle (SCM),
Date:   Oct 2008

Title:   Psychological interventions for depression in adolescent and adult congenital heart disease
Publisher:   John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:   Sometimes young adults and adults who are born with heart problems grow up and have depression. Treatments to help them other than anti-depressant drugs include psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapies and talking therapies. Benefits to having tre...
Date:   Oct 2008

Title:   Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is characterised by an electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormality. This is usually, but not always, associated with attacks of rapid heart rate (tachycardia). A person with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome has two electrical pathways inside their heart instead of one, and the extra pathway can lead to instability in the electrical control mechanism of the heart.
Date:   Sep 2008

Title:   Genetic services in Victoria
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   Genetic services in Victoria cover diagnosis, screening and testing, counselling and ongoing management of individuals and families with particular birth defects and genetic disorders. Services available include maternal serum screening (MSS), screening for all newborn babies for phenylketonuria (PKU), hypothyroidism, cystic fibrosis and another 20 metabolic disorders, carrier screening for cystic fibrosis (CF) and thalassaemia screening.
Date:   Sep 2008

Title:   Births in Victoria 2003-2004
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   Births in Victoria are recorded by the Victorian Perinatal Data Collection Unit (VPDCU), which maintains a database on perinatal (birth) outcomes and birth defects. The Commonwealth government collates data from all states on births.
Date:   Aug 2008

Title:   Syringomyelia
Publisher:   Better Health Channel
Description:   Syringomyelia is the formation of a cyst in the spinal cord. As the cyst grows, it presses on the spinal cord and interferes with the transmission of nerve impulses. Causes include trauma, infection and congenital (from birth) brain defects. Without treatment, syringomyelia may result in paraplegia or quadriplegia. Treatment options include surgery.
Date:   Aug 2008
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