BIRTH DEFECTS IN ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Thursday 3rd March 2022 will be “World
Birth Defects Day.” The theme for this year is: “Many Birth Defects, One
Voice.” The primary objective of the day is to raise awareness of birth
defects, their causes, and their impact on global society.
Birth defects or congenital anomalies are an
unpopular topic. It is one that will never garner any significant attention
simply because most parents are unwilling to discuss this critical issue. Some
have mixed feelings when faced with the reality that their son or daughter will
never be normal.
For most, the immediate response is one of sadness
or regret. Others view birth defects as an embarrassing situation or a sign of
failure as a mother or father. Therefore, pride does not permit them to
participate in such discussions.
Several babies who were born with birth defects in
Antigua and Barbuda decades ago became wards of the state. They were abandoned
by their mothers who secretly left them at the hospital. Many lived to become
teenagers with Holberton Hospital and the Fiennes Institute becoming their
permanent residence. There, the medical and auxiliary staff automatically
assumed the role of parents to those children.
On the other hand, many would never consider
abandoning their babies. Yet, they often take them home, place them in a room
where they are isolated and hidden from the public’s view.
It is estimated that every four and a half minutes,
a baby in the United States of America, is born with one or more birth defects.
More than 8 million babies are born with birth defects annually, worldwide.
Birth defects can affect any part of the body and
can be internal or external. Visible defects include missing fingers or toes,
cleft palate, and deforming birthmarks. In other cases, it can be an
underdeveloped kidney or a hole between the lower chambers of your baby’s
heart.
Examples of other defects include duodenal atresia-
an obstruction in the small intestine which causes extra fluid around the baby
during pregnancy. Such a condition is associated with other genetic syndromes.
Another critical example is that of neural tube
defects including spina bifida. This condition occurs when there are issues
with the development of the spine There are three types with ranges in the
level of disability. Although, all of the causes of spina bifida are unknown;
one serious cause is a deficiency of folic acid before and during pregnancy.
Not all birth defects are visible at birth: defects
such as scoliosis may take months to be detected and an abnormal kidney could
take years. Whereas some defects are linked to a genetic condition, there are
those which continually baffle the mind of medical experts, who are yet unable
to find the causes of some birth defects.
Factors that contribute to birth defects are
genetic, infection during pregnancy, and drug exposure. Statistics also
revealed that 20% of birth defects are a result of genetics or hereditary
factors.
Genetic causes are labelled into three common
categories: chromosomal abnormalities, single gene defects, and multifactorial.
Down’s, Turner’s, and Edward’s syndromes are just a few examples of chromosomal
abnormalities.
In our small space, some people are insensitive to
the plight of others and those who disregard the concept of empathy and
kindness. Those born with defects are often ignored or mistreated which must be
painful to parents and make the task of discussion a challenge. However, one
parent was willing to share her experience.
In 1999, a young girl with no known medical
conditions became pregnant and went into labour at five months. She gave birth
to a baby boy who we will call Joseph. His birth weight was 1 pound 2
ounces and he was placed into an incubator for four months.
At around six pounds, he was released from
the hospital and sent home. But as he grew, it became apparent that something
was wrong as he could neither stand nor walk. He was constantly dragging around
the floor. After a year of observing him, his mother was instructed to “take
him to a bone specialist”. He was later diagnosed with spinal bifida.
Since that time, wheelchairs have been his feet.
With the assistance of a wheelchair, he was able to attend primary school for
four years. After the age of seven, he was sent to the Adele School. His time
at Adele School extended to a decade and he left at age seventeen.
That baby boy is now twenty-two years old, and he
is categorised as a person living with a disability. He is a living, breathing
human being who feeds himself, takes a bath without assistance, and holds
conversations with anyone willing to listen. Most of all he is loved, cared
for, and happy.