Research Improves Lives of Children with Birth Defects

Birth defects remain a leading cause of death in the first year of life. According to the March of Dimes, every 3 to 4 minutes a baby is born with a birth defect in the United States. About 1 in every 33 infants is affected by birth defects.

UNC Charlotte researcher Cynthia H. Cassell has devoted her career to improving the lives of families and children affected by birth defects.

Because most birth defects occur in the first trimester of pregnancy, the March of Dimes and other organizations focus on fetal and maternal health stress prevention measures to reduce the number of babies born with birth defects, low birth weight, and/or premature.

Knowledge of birth defect prevention measures is widespread and well-proven, yet a surprising number of women are not exposed to the information prior to and during pregnancy, when it is most beneficial.

For example, simply taking a vitamin can help prevent neural tube defects, like spina bifida, which are among the most severe type of birth defects.

“We’ve found women taking 400 micrograms of folic acid during their child bearing years and into early pregnancy can prevent up to 70 percent of cases of children being born with spina bifida, a major birth defect in which the spine doesn’t develop correctly,” said Cassell, an assistant professor of public health sciences.

Folic acid, found in leafy green vegetables, orange juice and fortified grains, is a “magic bullet,” according to Anna Bess Brown, director of the North Carolina chapter of the March of Dimes. “We’re campaigning across the nation to encourage all women of childbearing age to take a vitamin pill every day,” she said.

In the quest to make scientifically sound recommendations for prevention researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are examining closely potential causes of birth defects, including maternal behaviors, such as smoking, alcohol use, nutrition, environmental and genetic factors, and maternal and paternal age.

Orofacial clefts, which include cleft lip with and without cleft palate, are among the most common birth defects in the United States; they also are considered among the most preventable and treatable. About one in 700 infants a year in the United States are affected.

“Once a child with a cleft receives surgical repair of the lip and/or palate, especially if they are treated early on, you’d never know they had it,” said Cassell. “We should do everything we can to help these children lead physically and developmentally normal lives.”

Choice and Circumstance

Intervention and treatment were the courses of action that Susan Lynch, coordinator of UNC Charlotte’s RN/BSN program in the School of Nursing, and her husband, George, decided upon when they adopted three children from China, the youngest two of whom have special needs.