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Health Information For Parents
While still in the womb, some babies have problems with how their organs and body parts form, how they work, or how their bodies turn food into energy. These health problems are called birth defects.
There are more than 4,000 different kinds of birth defects, ranging from minor ones that need no treatment to serious ones that cause disabilities or require medical or surgical treatment.
If a baby is born with a part of the body that is missing or malformed, it is called a structural birth defect. Heart defects are the most common type of structural defect. Others include spina bifida, cleft palate, clubfoot, and congenital dislocated hip.
When there is a problem with a baby’s body chemistry, it is called a metabolic birth defect. Metabolic defects prevent the body from properly breaking down food to create energy. Examples of metabolic defects include Tay-Sachs disease, a fatal disease that affects the central nervous system, and phenylketonuria (PKU), which affects the way the body processes protein.
For people who want to become parents, it’s important to know that some birth defects can be prevented. During a woman’s pregnancy, taking folic acid and getting enough iodine in the diet can help prevent some types of birth defects. But it’s also important to realize that most babies born with birth defects are born to two healthy parents with no obvious health problems or risk factors.
In most cases, doctors don’t know what caused a baby’s birth defect. When the cause is known, it might be environmental (such as a baby’s exposure to chemicals or viruses while in the womb), a problem with genes, or a combination of these things.
If a mother has certain infections (such as toxoplasmosis) during pregnancy, her baby can have a birth defect. Other conditions that cause defects include rubella and chickenpox (varicella). Fortunately, many people get vaccinated against these diseases so these infections are rare.
Also, alcohol abuse by the mother may cause fetal alcohol syndrome, and certain medicines taken by the mother can cause birth defects. (Doctors try to avoid harmful medicines during pregnancy, so a pregnant woman should tell any doctor she consults that she’s expecting.)
Every cell in the body has chromosomes containing genes that determine a person’s unique characteristics. During conception, a child inherits one of each pair of chromosomes (and one of each pair of the genes they contain) from each parent. An error during this process can cause a baby to be born with too few or too many chromosomes, or with a damaged chromosome.
One well-known birth defect caused by a chromosome problem is Down syndrome. A baby develops Down syndrome after getting one extra chromosome. Other genetic defects happen when both parents pass along a faulty gene for the same disease.
A disease or defect also can happen when only one parent passes along the gene for that disease. This includes birth defects such as achondroplasia (a form of dwarfism) and Marfan syndrome.
Finally, some boys inherit disorders from genes passed onto them only by their mothers. These defects, which include conditions like hemophilia and color blindness, are called X-linked because the genes are carried on the X chromosome.
Many birth defects are diagnosed even before a baby is born through prenatal tests. Prenatal tests also can help determine if a mother has an infection or other condition that is dangerous for the fetus. Knowing about a baby’s health problems ahead of time can help parents and doctors plan for the future.
It’s important to remember that screening identifies only the possibility that a baby has a defect. Some women give birth to a healthy baby after a screening test shows that a defect may be present. If you’re pregnant, talk to your doctor about any tests he or she thinks you should have.
Other birth defects are found during routine newborn screenings. With parents’ permission, babies are tested after birth to screen for certain birth defects that need to be treated. In the U.S., exactly what a baby is tested for varies from state to state, although all states screen for phenylketonuria (PKU), congenital hypothyroidism, sickle cell disease, and about 30 other conditions. Parents should ask health care providers or the hospital nursery which tests their state does.
Parents who have concerns about another specific birth defect might be able to have their baby tested for it. They should talk to their health care provider about it before the baby is born.
Many birth defects can’t be prevented, but a woman can do some things before and during pregnancy to help lower the chances of having a baby with a birth defect.
Before pregnancy, women should:
If there’s a family history of birth defects or a woman is part of a high-risk group, she should consider meeting with a genetic counselor to determine her baby’s risk.
During pregnancy, it’s important to take prenatal vitamins and eat a healthy diet in addition to taking the following precautions:
By following these pregnancy precautions, women can help reduce their babies’ risk of birth defects.
If your child has a birth defect, you don’t have to go it alone – many people and resources are available to help you.
The sooner in pregnancy good care begins, the better for the health of both moms and their babies. Here’s what to expect.
Heart defects happen when there’s a problem with a baby’s heart development during pregnancy. Most heart defects can be treated during infancy.
Advances in genetic testing help doctors diagnose and treat certain illnesses. The type of test done depends on which condition a doctor checks for.
Every parent-to-be hopes for a healthy baby, but it can be hard not to worry. Find out what tests can keep you informed of your health â and your baby’s â throughout pregnancy.
Genetic counselors work with people who are either planning to have a baby or are pregnant to determine whether they carry the genes for certain inherited disorders. Find out more.
During your pregnancy, you’ll probably get advice from everyone. But staying healthy depends on you – read about the many ways to keep you and your baby as healthy as possible.
Clubfoot is a birth defect that makes one or both of a baby’s feet point down and turn in. Most clubfeet can be successfully corrected using the nonsurgical Ponseti method.
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is a combination of problems caused by a birth defect that changes the way blood flows through the heart.
Spina bifida is a birth defect that involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings. It’s usually detected before a baby is born and treated right away.
Cerebral palsy (CP) affects a child’s muscle tone, movement, and more. This article explains causes, diagnosis, treatment, and coping.
Gene therapy carries the promise of cures for many diseases and for types of medical treatment most of us would not have thought possible.
Cerebral palsy is one of the most common developmental disabilities in the United States. It affects a person’s ability to move and coordinate body movements.
Some babies are born with a thyroid gland that didn’t develop correctly or doesn’t work as it should. This is called congenital hypothyroidism.
One of the most important things you can do to help prevent serious birth defects in your baby is to get enough folic acid every day – especially before conception and during early pregnancy.
If a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy, her baby could be born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which causes a wide range of physical, behavioral, and learning problems.
Whether you feel confused, worried, scared, or excited, you’ll want to know how your life will change, what you can do to have a healthy baby.