"Because every birth defect has a cause", Birth Defect Research for Children (BDRC) sponsors the National Birth Defect Registry, an online research project designed by a team of prominent scientists to discover the preventable causes of structural and functional birth defects.
The registry concept is that birth defects which have an external cause such as alcohol, recreational drugs, medications, heavy metals, environmental toxins, radiation, et al., result in a definable pattern ... Read More
"Because every birth defect has a cause", Birth Defect Research for Children (BDRC) sponsors the National Birth Defect Registry, an online research project designed by a team of prominent scientists to discover the preventable causes of structural and functional birth defects.
The registry concept is that birth defects which have an external cause such as alcohol, recreational drugs, medications, heavy metals, environmental toxins, radiation, et al., result in a definable pattern of birth defects that is unique, as unique as a fingerprint is to an individual. By collecting extensive data on the prenatal and pre-conceptual histories of both parents and analyzing birth defects (structural and functional) associated with similar exposures, the registry acts as an "early warning system" for connections between preventable exposures and birth defects.
Examples of structural birth defects include cleft palate, heart defects, limb defects, and spina bifida. Functional disabilities include autistic spectrum disorders, learning and attention disorders, and immune and endocrine defects. The latest research suggests environmental factors may play a role in both structural and functional birth defects.
Families from all over the country can enter their child's case through an online portal to the National Birth Defect Registry on BDRC's web site. Registry research has been used to help a community in Tennessee document an 1100% increase in cleft palates over a three year period linked to solvents leaking into their water supply from an old landfill.
Data from the registry was also the first to find a pattern of developmental problems (learning, attention, immune and endocrine) in the children of Vietnam veterans and a rare birth defect of the head and face in the children of veterans returning from the Gulf War. Because of registry research on military toxins and birth defects, bi-partisan bills have been introduced into the House and Senate for a center of expertise for research on the diagnosis and treatment of birth defects in the children of veterans exposed to toxins during military service.
A report from the registry found that nearly 60% of the children in the database with an autisum spectrum disorder also had a non-genetic structural birth defect, suggesting a prenatal cause for these outcomes. BDRC was invited to present this report at a national autism conference in Chicago.
Collaborating with the University of Texas, BDRC provided registry research for a study of a serious stomach defect (gastroschisis) that is increasing in reporting systems around the world. The study found this birth defect was more frequent in younger mothers who had used recreational drugs or alcohol during pregnancy and was consistent with findings from other published studies.
A recent report has revealed that disabilities rose 16% in children younger than 17 between 2001-2011. Cases related to neurodevelopmental conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities or emotional problems increased by 21%. Because "prevention is the only cure for birth defects", BDRC works to prevent birth defects through our online Healthy Baby Resource that provides the latest information on how to have a healthier baby.
Hide Full Text
