Millions of people are born with them, and some are easily preventable.
This March 3rd marked the 5th anniversary of World Birth Defects Day. You may not have heard of it, but statistics show that about 3 to 6% of infants born across the world have a serious birth defect, which adds up to a significant amount of people.
Here are 5 more things you may not know about the problem.
1) Systems Are Tracking Birth Defects Around the Globe
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created tracking and research systems that are attempting to identify the causes of some birth defects by gathering information from around the world.
2) Change Can Come Via Tortillas
Research can result in simple but effective change. It’s been found that Hispanic/Latina women are the most likely to give birth to a child with birth defects in their brain and spine. In an effort to change this, folic acid has been added to products that contain corn masa flour, such as tortillas, which are a common staple in Latin diets.
Folic acid is also an additive in many popular breakfast cereals.
Related: This is the #1 Killer for Women: How to Lower Your Risk
3) They Often Occur Before a Woman Actually Knows She’s Pregnant
Major birth defects in a baby’s brain or spine happen very early on in pregnancy, at only about 3 to 4 weeks after conception. For many women, this happens before they even realize they’re pregnant. This is one solid reason women of childbearing age should aim to eat the recommended amount of folic acid daily, at 400 micrograms.
4) Some Women Need Extra Folic Acid
If your baby is at a risk of developing neural tube defects, doctors may recommend you take an increased amount of folic acid, up to 4,000 msg daily, before becoming pregnant.
5) Most Are a Mystery
It’s not all about folic acid. Birth defects can be cause by genetics, environmental factors, injuries, infections, radiation or drug exposure. The majority of them though, are without detectable cause.
