Congenital Disorders (Birth Defects)
Sure, we've all seen a few of the birth defects on TV and such. But there's a lot more than what the media simply tells us. I found this out one day while on Google looking for a picture of a kitten to send one of my friends, and I found a picture of a cat with seven toes. I looked up the name of the condition, Polydactyly, and I researched a bit into it on Wikipedia. I found out it is one of many "congenital disorders," so then I was redirected to a list of said disorders. And it saddened me beyond belief how some kids are born with a horrific disease, and the only option for the parents is to let their child die.
A congenital disorder is a disease that a child is born with at the beginning of his or her life. However, they can be recognized at any point of life: prenatally, at birth, or anytime after. They are usually the result of either corrupted genes or problems within the uterus during development. Both of these problems can be the result of the mother making bad decisions while pregnant. But not always, since some children can just be downright unlucky and be stuck with a disease for life without any reason behind it. So... I want to raise awareness about these disorders, so I'm going to write about some of the disases that really struck me, either as interesting or cruel. I'm probably going to be posting links of people with the disease, so if you're squeemish, like me, then I'd prepare yourself.
Anencephaly is the lack of the top portion of the cranium, so a lot of the skull, brain, and scalp doesn't form. Babies born with disease are without the portions of the brain that do the majority of the thinking and that have our cognitive abilities (motion, processing information). Because there is no scalp or top half of skull, the rest of the brain is exposed and the eyes seem like they're slightly protruding since that part of the skull is absent as well. Most babies are born blind, deaf, unconscious, and invincible to pain (which would indicate severe problems with the nervous system). Because they are missing part of their brain, they will never gain consciousness. Sometimes they are born able to breathe and respond to sound and touch, but that's pretty much it. The cause is unknown, and there is no cure or treatment for the disease. Most babies do not survive birth, but the ones that do can't survive past a few days. Doctors can only nurture the baby as best as they can. Most women who find out their child has anencephaly choose to have an abortion.
Child with anencephaly. - This picture really REALLY bothers me, since I found it on accident to begin with. If you can't look at this type of thing, then don't.
Elephantiasis is... a MASSIVE growth of any part of the body. It's seriously inhuman. The growth can be an arm, a leg, a part of the head, ANYWHERE. It's usually caused by a parasitic disease, lymphatic filariasis. It's difficult to detect early, since it may show up at any point in time. Although there is no cure, there IS treatment which can reduce swelling and continued growth.
MODERATE Elephantiasis - I really don't want to be gross in posting the full extent of it.
Cyclopia is when the two eye cavities fail to divide, leaving only a single eye. The nose also fails to form, although there may be a non-functional nose (a proboscis) located somewhere on the face, usually where the forehead should be. This is one of the most severe deformities a baby can have. Also, the brain's two hemispheres fuse together, which would lead to severe cognitive disabilities. There's also cases of animals having the disease, most notably "Cy," a kitten who lived a whole disease with the disease. Most human babies born with the disase usually die within the first day of having the disease. Aside from those mentioned, there's also other problems that may occur, since it is the result of having an additional Chromosome 13.
Baby with Cyclopia. - Let's just say that I would opt not to look at this one, but if you really want to know the full extent of the deformities, then go ahead.
I wanted to post this because birth defects are, out of ALL the medical problems one can have, that could bug me most. Save Lou Gherig's, cancer, and Alzheimers, and a few others of that sort, birth defects are beyond cruel in my book. All those kids who have those diseases never had a shot at life. Those kids could have been the next leaders for our country. Kids with fatal congenital disorders live a few hours or days of suffering not knowing the fruits of life, they simply exist. I hope that if I don't end up becoming an oncologist when I'm older, that I'll qualify for pathology as well, because I want to help people with these type of diseases as best as I can, regardless of their severity. I hope that we can work for cures for these type of diseases instead of wasting our money on needless items or whims. This is also another lesson that drugs and smoking CAN screw you up; or rather, screw your kid up.
List of congenital disorders.
A congenital disorder is a disease that a child is born with at the beginning of his or her life. However, they can be recognized at any point of life: prenatally, at birth, or anytime after. They are usually the result of either corrupted genes or problems within the uterus during development. Both of these problems can be the result of the mother making bad decisions while pregnant. But not always, since some children can just be downright unlucky and be stuck with a disease for life without any reason behind it. So... I want to raise awareness about these disorders, so I'm going to write about some of the disases that really struck me, either as interesting or cruel. I'm probably going to be posting links of people with the disease, so if you're squeemish, like me, then I'd prepare yourself.
Anencephaly is the lack of the top portion of the cranium, so a lot of the skull, brain, and scalp doesn't form. Babies born with disease are without the portions of the brain that do the majority of the thinking and that have our cognitive abilities (motion, processing information). Because there is no scalp or top half of skull, the rest of the brain is exposed and the eyes seem like they're slightly protruding since that part of the skull is absent as well. Most babies are born blind, deaf, unconscious, and invincible to pain (which would indicate severe problems with the nervous system). Because they are missing part of their brain, they will never gain consciousness. Sometimes they are born able to breathe and respond to sound and touch, but that's pretty much it. The cause is unknown, and there is no cure or treatment for the disease. Most babies do not survive birth, but the ones that do can't survive past a few days. Doctors can only nurture the baby as best as they can. Most women who find out their child has anencephaly choose to have an abortion.
Child with anencephaly. - This picture really REALLY bothers me, since I found it on accident to begin with. If you can't look at this type of thing, then don't.
Elephantiasis is... a MASSIVE growth of any part of the body. It's seriously inhuman. The growth can be an arm, a leg, a part of the head, ANYWHERE. It's usually caused by a parasitic disease, lymphatic filariasis. It's difficult to detect early, since it may show up at any point in time. Although there is no cure, there IS treatment which can reduce swelling and continued growth.
MODERATE Elephantiasis - I really don't want to be gross in posting the full extent of it.
Cyclopia is when the two eye cavities fail to divide, leaving only a single eye. The nose also fails to form, although there may be a non-functional nose (a proboscis) located somewhere on the face, usually where the forehead should be. This is one of the most severe deformities a baby can have. Also, the brain's two hemispheres fuse together, which would lead to severe cognitive disabilities. There's also cases of animals having the disease, most notably "Cy," a kitten who lived a whole disease with the disease. Most human babies born with the disase usually die within the first day of having the disease. Aside from those mentioned, there's also other problems that may occur, since it is the result of having an additional Chromosome 13.
Baby with Cyclopia. - Let's just say that I would opt not to look at this one, but if you really want to know the full extent of the deformities, then go ahead.
I wanted to post this because birth defects are, out of ALL the medical problems one can have, that could bug me most. Save Lou Gherig's, cancer, and Alzheimers, and a few others of that sort, birth defects are beyond cruel in my book. All those kids who have those diseases never had a shot at life. Those kids could have been the next leaders for our country. Kids with fatal congenital disorders live a few hours or days of suffering not knowing the fruits of life, they simply exist. I hope that if I don't end up becoming an oncologist when I'm older, that I'll qualify for pathology as well, because I want to help people with these type of diseases as best as I can, regardless of their severity. I hope that we can work for cures for these type of diseases instead of wasting our money on needless items or whims. This is also another lesson that drugs and smoking CAN screw you up; or rather, screw your kid up.
List of congenital disorders.
oh my god, i had heard of one of the deseases, i think it was the second one. But yes, i totaly agree, its cruel. Its quite depressing to think that these kids could have become someone important, or someone special, i dont know, its just... sad.
PaNcAkEs, May 6th, 2007 at 05:24:07am
It's so sad. And most of the time, the smallest thing could've prevented it. Great blog, as always. :]
RhymesLikeDimes, May 5th, 2007 at 09:45:40pm
*knocks on screen*
helloo is anybody home?
A good part of birth defects are a result of genes NOT anything the mother did while pregnant. The fact that some folks here commented after seeing the pics 'how could a parent do that to a baby' proves that awareness is desperately needed.
Also as long as men are in charge of this world... we'll have a pill to help erectile dysfunction but cancer and AIDS and others... well we'll have to wait on them. *shakes head in disgust*
A great blog btw...
Banach95, May 5th, 2007 at 08:33:12pm
that first picture scared me ._. i think its awful how anyone can do that to a baby ._.
Sarah!, May 5th, 2007 at 04:08:34pm
After I finish up this article, I might. This was a great blog by the way; your GSB award was well earned.
Kurtni, May 5th, 2007 at 03:35:49pm
That's awful. I actually thought about writing a Blog about autism for the same reasons you stated: people with autism as smart (or smarter) than "normal" people, but unfortunately they are trapped behind this barrier of sorts. I'd be furious too. You should make a Blog on autism, you could probably articulate it way better than me anyways.
Funky Platypus, May 5th, 2007 at 03:23:46pm
My cousin Brittney has cerebral gigantism., it's a congenital disease. Basically for the first 4 years of her life she grew uncontrollably. She wasn't even one year old and she was 2 feet tall. She has horrible cordination problems now. Not only that, but she's also autistic and has hypotonia. Why? Her mother abused drugs like you can't even imagine, and when she found out she was pregnant it just got even worse. She left my uncle and basically disappeared for 8 months, and then when she had Brittney they ended up back together. And she stopped doing drugs, but it was a little too late really. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive her really, because its all her fault. She is currently under my grandma's care seeing as how neither of her parents are grown up enough to take responisblity for her. Lucky for Brittney, she was put in physical therapy, so she learned to walk ok even though she suffers from cordination problems.
I have such a difficult time baby sitting her sometimes because of her austism. I can't stand how people have the dumb stereotype that autistic children are stupid, because they aren't at all, they just communicate and behave differently than the rest of us. She has a hard time communicating, talking is difficult for her and socially she isn't overly developed. Luckily enough for me she for whatever reason has taken a liking to me and makes the effort to try and communicate. The only other person she does that for is my grandma. Really, she just doesn't want to. And when she can't commuicate, she gets so frusterated and can throw massive tantrums, but can you blame her? I can't imagine living in a world where what I want to say and express can't be understood by others. That must be horrible.
Kurtni, May 5th, 2007 at 03:17:40pm
That's just...unbelievable, it's like these amazing kids grow up [or in some cases don't] with only half a chance sometimes, yet people who don't deserve their lives get everything they want. Life's simply not fair sometimes
We're Outlaws, Yeah!, May 5th, 2007 at 02:53:39pm
Oh my god. Conditions like this are horrible. And how can an irresponsible parent do that to their child? New born babies are so innocent and haven't even done anything then they either die or have to suffer. People should think twice about making mistakes like this because they ruin somebody's future. A future that someone deserved to live and that was taken away by carelessness.
threeam., May 5th, 2007 at 02:45:59pm
UGH! I dispise women who do drugs and drink while they're pregnant.
How could you do that to your future child?!?!?
My brothers ex-finace got pregnant [by another guy] and she hated the baby so much she drank and drank. She didn't give a f*ck about it. And she even knew she was going to give it up for a adoption. It's not the fetus' fault you got pregnant. Don't take it out on him!
Luckly, the baby was born a healthy, beautiful, baby boy
southernidiot, May 5th, 2007 at 02:40:07pm
dude thats so harsh
when my cous was preg I couldnt sleep atnight thinking the baby might be born without arms. He is the healthiest baby Ive ever seen though. But what I just dont get if why do mothers that know thier kids are gonna live one maybe 2 days. Why dont they simply abort? They would avoid so much suffering for the babies and for them
This one of the reasons I dont ever wanna have babies
Dumbfuck, May 5th, 2007 at 02:36:00pm