If you’re pregnant or planning on having children in future, the thought of your baby being born with a defect of any kind can be a scary one. In South Africa, around 1 in every 40 babies are born each year with some kind of birth defect, due to either genetic or environmental factors. If this happens to your child, your biggest fear may be that your baby won’t have a “normal” childhood or a long and healthy life. But the reality is that advances in medical science mean that these days, many defects are highly treatable.
The 3rd March is World Birth Defects Day, dedicated to raising awareness of birth defects, their causes, and their impact around the world. In recognition of this day, here’s more information about five of the most common birth defects in South Africa that, depending on their severity, are usually highly treatable:
- Cleft palate
A cleft palate is when the palate in the mouth doesn’t develop properly and the split doesn’t close by the time the baby is born. The condition can be mild – where it affects just the upper lip – or severe, affecting the roof of the mouth and the soft palate too. Babies born with a cleft palate often need help with feeding as they may have trouble sucking. As they grow older, their language development may be affected, which can also be the result of middle ear infections since the ears don’t drain correctly. Thankfully, complete repair of a cleft palate is usually possible with surgery. Repairing the lip is usually done at around three months, while repairing the palate is usually done between 6 and 12 months, to allow the baby’s face time to grow slightly bigger.
- Club foot
Clubfoot, also known as congenital talipes equinovarus, is caused by abnormal growth of the foot in a developing foetus. It can range from mild to severe and can affect one or both feet. In South Africa, around 11 000 babies are born with a clubfoot each year, and it’s more prevalent in boys than in girls. In most cases, clubfoot is easy to correct – the most accepted treatment for it is the Ponseti Method, which uses a combination of plaster casts, gentle manipulation and a special brace to correct the shape of the foot. Treatment usually begins soon after birth, and involves about 6 weeks of plaster casts that are changed every week. Braces are then usually worn from around 3 months until the child is around 4 years old to prevent the condition from recurring.
- Congenital heart defects
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common birth defects in the world. In South Africa, it’s estimated that around one in 1000 babies are born with CHD each year, and around 4500 babies each year require an operation to treat it. In many cases, the defect can be picked up at prenatal scans between 18-20 weeks, or once the baby is born due to symptoms such as a heart murmur that can indicate the abnormal functioning of the heart. Treatment for the condition depends on the specific defect, but can often be managed through surgery, medication, or a combination of both.
- Polydactyly
Polydactyly is the development of extra digits in a baby’s hands and/or feet. The condition affects approximately 1 in 500 babies in South Africa each year, and is often hereditary. The most common type is called postaxial polydactyly, which is where an extra finger develops next to the little finger. This extra finger is often not fully formed, and is simply a small nubbin without any bones. Treatment usually involves surgery to remove the extra digit when the child is around one or two years old, and the procedure ranges in complexity depending on where the extra digit is located.
- Spina bifida
Spina bifida is a type of neural tube defect (NTD) that occurs when part of the spine or membranes around the spinal cord don’t form properly in early pregnancy. In South Africa, the condition occurs in about 1 in every 500 to 800 births. Treatment usually involves surgery immediately after birth to repair and manage the damage. Recent developments in medicine mean that these days, fetoscopic surgery is also possible in some cases, which is where the baby’s spine is repaired while it is still in its mother’s womb.
Thanks to the rapid advance of modern medicine, a birth defect doesn’t have to be as daunting as it once was. And, if you’re in South Africa and have medical aid in place, you’ll have the peace of mind that the course of treatment for your baby will be covered. With medical schemes like Fedhealth, cover includes all expenses related to pregnancy or resulting complications.
Above all, if a birth defect is picked up early, it can often be treated and managed after birth – or even before – leaving your baby with no lasting damage, and a full and happy life ahead of them.
