Birth Defect: Cerebral Palsy

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Imagine the pain parents feel after getting the bad news that there child is affected by a birth defect. Many parents have to go through this situation in which is not an easy roller-coaster to be on. Many different birth defects are out there in the world and some are more dangerous than others. Studies today prove that birth defects affect 1 in 33 babies every year and cause 1 in 5 infant’s deaths. (National Center on Birth Defects) According to the American Heritage Dictionary, birth defect is a physiological or structural abnormality that develops at or before birth and is present at the time of birth especially as a result of faulty development, infection, or injury. (Harcourt) One out of the many birth defects in the world is Cerebral Palsy.
To begin, the birth defect Cerebral Palsy is a condition marked by impaired muscle coordination and disabilities typically caused by damage to the brain before or at birth. (Harcourt) This defect commonly occurs in the uterus area while the baby’s mother is still pregnant, it can also occur a month after the baby has been born. Premature, low in birth weight or multiple birth children are the ones to usually be born with the birth defect Cerebral Palsy. Boys are more known to be born with Cerebral Palsy than girls are. In the U.S, for every 100 girls with this birth defect there are 135 boys. This birth defect may be found as the child commences to grow and goes through the symptoms, but an earlier sign of it usually appears before a child reaches the age of three.
Next, Cerebral Palsy comes with a lot of symptoms that children go through as they continue to grow. Some of the symptoms include: having difficulty controlling the weight of the head while trying to pick it up, having stif...

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...cted by birth defects and cause 1 in 5 infant’s deaths. (National Center on Birth Defects) Dealing with a child that is affected by a birth defect isn’t an easy rollercoaster. There are many struggles and obstacles to overcome throughout the child’s life. So before having children find out information about the possible birth defects that could happen to your child and help by getting medication or talking to your doctor to prevent them.

Works Cited

• Harcourt. Houghton. "Birth Defect." American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 2009. Web. 22 November 2013.< http://www.ahdictionary.com >
• National Center on Birth Defects "Cerebral Palsy" CDC 2011. Web. 22 November
2013< http://www.cdc.gov/features/birthdefects/ >
• Special Needs Hope "Cerebral Palsy." 2006. Web. 24 November 2013.
< http://www.special-needs-hope.com/signs-of-cerebral-palsy.html >

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