Birth Defects

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Term Paper Title	Birth Defects
# of Words	2328
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	9.31

Birth Defects

Birth Defects

     No one is immune to birth defects, yet not everyone is equally susceptible.
Birth defects are not merely a medical problem. They have profound effects on
the social and psychological well being of their  family and friends.
     In the normal course of fetal development, cells migrate to their
appropriate destination so that organs and limbs form where they should. Usually,
the genes perform flawlessly, but mistakes can and do occur. Some of the most
common birth defects  results from the  interaction between  one or two abnormal
genes out of 100,000  that make up who we are. This is caused by the genes
parents pass on or  effected by  drugs and alcohol upon the fetus of a new born
child.
     Down's syndrome, the most common genetic disease formerly known as
mongolism, "occurs one in every six hundred births throughout the world" ( Storm
102). It is caused by chromosomal error, where there is an extra chromosome 21.
Instead of have two chromosomes as does a normal individual, there are three.
These children's features include up slanted eyelids, depressed foreheads,
hearing loss, dental problems, poor speech development, heart disease and
intestinal problems where surgery is required. Parents feel very helpless and
guilty in many of these and similar situations,  feeling as if they are abnormal.
However most can learn to walk, talk, dress themselves and eat. Special work
programs are available that can help the child reach their education level. Also
these work programs help takes off  the many stresses facing parents. They no
longer have to go it alone.
     Tay Sachs disease is another selective genetic disorder that destroyed
nerve cells. This causes mental retardation, loss of muscle control and death.
Children who inherit an abnormal gene from both parents will inherit the decease.
The carrier parents have one normal gene and one defective gene. Carriers of
Tay-Sachs disease have no symptoms. " If two carriers have children, each child
has twenty-five percent chance of inheriting the defective gene (both parents)"
(Strom 174).  These children are unable to produce an enzyme that breaks down
fats in the brain and nerve cells. The cells become clogged with fat and prevent
the cells from functioning normally.  Within three to four years their bodies
dies.

            Sandra vividly remembers how happy she was to have a baby brother
and what a beautiful, healthy little boy he was at first. Then, at about six
months o...

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