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What Do You Know About Birth Defects?

See how much you know about birth defects. Learn what you can do to lower your risk.

1. How many babies in the U.S. are born with birth defects?

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According to the March of Dimes, about 1 in 33 babies born each year in the U.S. has a birth defect.

A. 1% B. 3% C. 5% D. 10%

2. When is an unborn baby most at risk of developing a birth defect?

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That's why experts recommend that women planning to become pregnant visit their healthcare provider first. This is especially important for women with chronic health conditions, the March of Dimes says.

A. First trimester B. Second trimester C. Last trimester D. All 9 months

3. Which of these is a common birth defect?

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Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects of the mouth and lip. They happen in about 1 in 700 births. These problems occur early in pregnancy. The sides of the lip and the roof of the mouth don’t join together as they should. A child can have cleft lip, cleft palate, or both. Most babies born with a cleft are otherwise healthy, with no other birth problems. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that includes a combination of birth defects. These include intellectual problems, certain facial features and, often, heart defects, visual and hearing problems, and other health problems. These problems vary greatly in how severe they are. According to the CDC, Down syndrome affects about 1 in 691 babies.

A. Down syndrome B. Heart abnormalities C. Spina bifida D. Cleft lip/cleft palate E. both A and D

4. Which of these habits of the mother-to-be can be harmful to the fetus?

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Smoking raises the risk for miscarriage or damage to developing fetal organs. Alcohol and illegal drugs can raise the risk for fetal problems, miscarriage, and lifetime disabilities.

A. Smoking B. Drinking alcohol C. Taking illegal drugs D. All of the above

5. A woman who is pregnant or considering pregnancy should get a health checkup. Which of these vaccines should be up to date before she gets pregnant because of the danger of the disease to the fetus?

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If a woman is not immune to rubella, infection during pregnancy can cause a group of birth defects called the congenital rubella syndrome. Defects include decreased growth, intellectual problems, small head, congenital cataracts or cloudiness of the cornea, deafness, and heart defects.

A. Tetanus B. Diphtheria-polio-tetanus C. Measles, mumps, and rubella D. Flu

6. Healthcare providers advise women to take 400 mcg of folic acid daily before they get pregnant and during pregnancy. What can this help prevent in the baby?

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Taking folic acid supplements may lower the risk for a group of conditions called neural tube defects by 50%.

A. Respiratory distress B. Brain and spinal defects C. Blood disorders D. Learning disorders

7. Pregnant women should not handle cat litter to lower the risk of becoming infected with which of these?

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This infection can be passed to humans through cat feces. It can seriously harm an unborn baby. Infection during pregnancy can cause premature delivery, low birth weight, intellectual problems, muscle movement problems, small head, small eyes and blindness, seizures, hydrocephalus, and damage to the liver and blood-forming organs.

A. Toxoplasmosis B. Streptococcus C. E. coli bacteria D. HIV

8. Which of these kinds of medicines can cause birth defects if taken when pregnant?

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Many prescription and over-the-counter medicines aren't safe for pregnant women to take. An expectant mother should check with her healthcare provider before taking any medicine or supplement.

A. Prescription medicines B. Over-the-counter medicines C. Herbal remedies D. All of the above

9. During prenatal care, a healthcare provider may recommend genetic screening tests for certain disorders. What is one thing that amniocentesis tests for?

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Amniocentesis usually is done between the 15th and 20th week of pregnancy. Down syndrome is one of the most common genetic chromosome problems tested for. The number of conditions that can be diagnosed by amniocentesis increases every year. Amniocentesis can be used to diagnose many chromosome problems, DNA-gene problems, and enzyme and amino acid problems. In late pregnancy, amniocentesis can even help find out how mature the fetus' lungs are.

A. Down syndrome B. Multiple sclerosis C. Cancer D. Attention deficit disorder

10. Extra or missing chromosomes trigger genetic birth defects. What factor greatly increases the risk for an abnormal number of chromosomes in the fetus?

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Women 35 and older have a greater risk of having a child with chromosome problems. This is especially true for trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome.

A. Older age of the mother B. Father's diet C. Mother's diet D. None of the above

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Online Medical Reviewer: Adler, Liora C, MD
Online Medical Reviewer: Freeborn, Donna, PhD, CNM, FNP
Online Medical Reviewer: Trevino, Heather M, BSN, RNC

Date Last Reviewed: 5/1/2019

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