January Brings Awareness to Birth Defects, learn more today:

When a woman becomes pregnant all she wants is for her baby to be born healthy and safe. No parent wants their baby to have a birth defect. Birth defects are so common that 1 in every 33 babies are born with one. A birth defect is a physical or biochemical abnormality that is present at birth and that may be inherited, or the result of environmental influence. Birth defects can be detected before, at or any time after birth.

Birth defects can vary from mild to severe depending on which organ or body part(s) is involved and how much it is affected. There are more than 4,000 different kinds of birth defects that fall into two categories, structural or functional/developmental. The expected life span of a person affected with a birth defect may or may not be affected depending on the severity of the defect.

Through past research we have learned a lot about birth defects, but we still have more work to do. We do not know what causes most birth defects, but for some like Fetal Alcohol Syndrome we do know the cause. Although not all birth defects can be prevented there are some things that a woman can do before and during her pregnancy to help reduce the risks. Weather or not you’re a parent we need to help in spreading awareness about birth defects and the overall health of all children to give them a chance at a brighter, healthier and ongoing future. So lets support The National Birth Defects Prevention Network this January and share the Knowledge or donate today.